Karen Lawson, MD

Position: Program Director for the Health Coaching track, Certificate in Complementary Therapies and Healing Practices
Organization: Center for Spirituality & Healing

Office Address:
C509 Mayo Memorial Bldg, MMC 505
420 Delaware Street SE
Minneapolis, MN 55455

Home Address:
2708 Inglewood Avenue South
Saint Louis Park, MN 55416

Office Phone: 612-626-3817
Office Fax: 612-626-5280
Email Address: lawsonk@umn.edu

Educational Background
Lawson completed undergraduate degrees from Michigan State University in biochemistry and physiology and earned her medical degree at the University of Michigan Medical School in Ann Arbor. She completed her family medicine residency at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Brief Biography
Board-certified in family medicine and holistic medicine, Karen Lawson, M.D., is teaching faculty at the Center for Spirituality and Healing, where she leads the integrative medical education efforts, teaches about Shamanism, and directs the Health Coaching track of the Certificate in Complementary Therapies and Healing Practices. She is past-president of the American Holistic Medical Association and a founding Diplomat of the American Board of Integrative and Holistic Medicine. Karen completed undergraduate degrees with Honors from Michigan State University in biochemistry and physiology and earned her medical degree at the University of Michigan Medical School in Ann Arbor. She completed her family medicine residency at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Since that time, her wide-ranging experience has included work as an integrative medicine consultant and as an emergency department and family practice physician. She is the former medical director of Lamat Medical Corporation in San Diego, Calif., and of The Wege Institute for Mind, Body and Spirit at St. Mary's Mercy Medical Center in Grand Rapids, Mich.
She has advanced training in homeopathy from the Northwest School of Homeopathy in Minneapolis where she is also on the teaching faculty. She has studied shamanic medicine for the last ten years and brings expertise in meditation techniques, yoga, dance/movement therapies and nutrition. Karen's special interests include rites of passage and rituals for healing.
In her current position, Karen is active in undergraduate and graduate medical education, faculty development, and graduate studies.
Dr. Lawson is a published author and researcher, and speaks nationally to diverse audiences on the power and potential of integrated and holistic health care practices.

Teaching Areas
Health Coaching (Fundamentals I, II, and Professional Internship)
Shamanism (Foundations of Shamanism and Shamanic Healing)
Concepts of Integrative Medicine, Complementary and Alternative Therapies, Professional Health and Well-being for the Medical School

Research Interests
Health Coaching, Health Professional Well-Being

Selected Publications
Thomas MR, Dyrbye LN, Huntington JL, Lawson KL, Novotny PJ, Sloan JA, Shanafelt TD. How do distress and well-being relate to medical student empathy? A multicenter study in American medical students. Journal of General Internal Medicine. 2007 Feb;22(2):177-83.
"Personal Life Events and Medical Student Burnout: A Multicenter Study," by Liselotte N. Dyrbye, M.D., Matthew R. Thomas, M.D., Tait D. Shanafelt, M.D., Karen L. Lawson, M.D., Jefrey L. Huntington, B.Sc., Paul J. Novotny, M.S., Jeff A. Sloan, Ph.D. Academic Medicine, 2006, 81:374-384.
"Roots and Wings: A Pilot of a Mind-Body-Spirit Program," by K. L. Lawson, MD and K. Horneffer, PhD. J. of Holistic Nursing, September, 2002, Vol. 20, No. 3:250-263.
"An Experiential Model for Teaching Comparative Systems of Medicine," by K Lawson, P Hart, and L Zhang. North American Research Conference on Complementary and Integrative Medicine, sponsored by the Consortium of Academic Health Centers in Integrative Medicine, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, May, 2006.
"A Multicenter Study of the Impact of Personal Life Events on Burnout and Depression in American Medical Students," by L Dyrbye, M Thomas, J Huntington, K Lawson, P Novotny, J Sloan, T Shanafelt. American Association of Medical Colleges, 2005 annual conference.
"A Multicenter Study Evaluating the Effects of Personal Well-being on Specialty Choice Among U.S. Medical Students," by M R Thomas, L N Dyrbye, J L Huntington, K Lawson, P Novotny, J Sloan and T Shanafelt. Association for Medical Education in Europe (AMEE), oral presentation for September 2005 annual meeting.
"A Multicenter Study Comparing Burnout, Depression and Quality of Life in Minority and Non-minority Medical Students in the US," by L N Dyrbye, M R Thomas, J L Huntington, K Lawson, P Novotny, J Sloan and T Shanafelt. Association for Medical Education in Europe (AMEE), oral presentation for September 2005 annual meeting.
"An Integrated Approach to Women with Eating Disorders in a Residential Treatment Setting: An Observational Study from the Anna Westin House," by Karen Lawson, MD, and Robyn Swenson, PhD. University of MN Women?s Health Research Conference 2004: Advancing Women?s Health?Cultivating Interdisciplinary Research. (poster presentation)

Seaking Areas
Medical Professional Health and Well-Being, Work-Life Balance, Stress Management, Holistic Medicine, Integrative Medicine, CSH Overview, Taking Charge of Your Health, Health Coaching, Spirituality and Healing, Shamanism, Shamanic Healing