Brenda J. Lawrence, MD

I chose family medicine because I like treating different illnesses. I also enjoy taking care of people of all ages over time. I help patients take control of their health through education and communication. Patients are always appreciative of my attentiveness and thoroughness. In return, I feel privileged and honored by their trust in me as their primary care provider. Outside of medicine, I enjoy photography, traveling, and ballroom dancing. I also spend my spare time hiking, camping, and kayaking with my family.

What draws me to the field of urology is the chance to correct problems that people don't like to talk about, but are important to function in everyday life. In urology, we deal with many problems like cancer, emergencies, and kidney stones. For children, it can be challenging for parents to know what's best for their child and taking time to learn options helps with this process. Talking with parents, helping them understand their child's condition, learning what they want, and working toward a solution is supremely rewarding. It is a privilege that they allow us into their lives. I am also committed to Dartmouth Health's mission to improve care through discovery science. My lab investigates genitourinary development, cancer, and environmental chemical exposure using the zebrafish model. We seek to understand the influence of environment on the developing urinary system and bladder function. My goal is to offer optimized and personalized interventions for the conditions I see in my patients.

After working in intensive care, my nursing career led me to care for patients in the catheterization and electrophysiology labs. As I decided to become a nurse practitioner, it was a natural course to follow, given my experience. Working with patients with electrical heart rhythm disturbances, I found myself wanting to learn more. I have found an infinite and vast specialty area that is extremely interesting to me. When I meet with patients, I try to explain things in a meaningful way - as something they could relate to in everyday life. I'm down-to-earth and approachable. I enjoy working with people. I want to work with my patients to seek out answers for them. If I can help improve a patient's quality of life by making them feel better, I feel successful.