Ericka Lawler, MD
The 2023 edition of the Iowa Orthopedic Journal is dedicated to Dr. Ericka Lawler. We are honored to have experienced Dr. Lawler’s teachings, leadership, and mentorship during her time here at The University of Iowa and can think of no one more deserving of this honor.
Dr. Ericka (Andrusiak) Lawler was born and raised in Woodhaven, Michigan to Karen and Gary Andrusiak. She grew up camping with her family in the great outdoors of Michigan. Her family describes her as “all-everything” in high school, busy with multiple activities including volleyball and soccer. She set a standard for future achievements, as she was the class president, valedictorian, and homecoming queen. For those that have the fortune of knowing Dr. Lawler, this is no surprise.
After a successful high school academic career, Dr. Lawler attended the prestigious Yale University, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry. She also met her then-future husband Judd in New Haven when they were both undergraduate students. Her academic triumphs continued, and she attended medical school at the George Washington School of Medicine and Health Sciences in Washington, D.C. She graduated in the top percentile of her class, receiving invitation into Alpha Omega Alpha in 2000. She also received the Robert J. Neviaser Award in Orthopaedic Surgery, the beginning of a lifetime of orthopaedic achievements. She completed her residency training at New York University Hospital for Joint Disease in New York City, where she was treating patients during the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. Dr. Lawler developed a passion for hand and upper extremity surgery during her time in New York. She transplanted her talents from the East Coast to Iowa City for her hand and upper extremity fellowship in 2005, where she continued to excel. After fielding many offers, she accepted the position to join the orthopedic faculty at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in 2006.
Dr. Lawler camping in Michigan 1980.
Dr. Lawler is a well-respected teacher, role-model, and leader in the Carver College of Medicine. She serves as a mentor to medical students, sharing knowledge through curated lectures at the medical school, as well as inviting medical students into her clinics and operating rooms for one-of-a-kind orthopedic experiences. In 2012, she received the University of Iowa Medical Student Teaching Award for her efforts in medical education and was again recognized in 2021 with the Dr. Ernest O. Theilen Clinical Teaching and Service Award. Her reach extends outside the minds of Iowa medical students, as she served as mentor for visiting orthopaedic sub-interns from across the country participating in the Ruth Jackson-Steindler Orthopaedic Clerkship. Dr. Lawler’s influence on young learners is uniquely exemplified in that many of her Ruth Jackson mentees chose to uproot their lives and move across the country to Iowa City to join the orthopaedic residency.
Dr. Lawler's residency graduation with her husband Judd and mother Karen.
Sharing Resources Worldwide Orthopedic Hand Team Fall, 2018.
Dr. Lawler’s contributions to orthopaedic training at the University of Iowa are immeasurable. From her daily instruction in both the clinic setting and the operating room, to her dedication to the education of residents, she is an invaluable advocate for training the next generation of orthopaedic surgeons. Her efforts in the development of intern skills month as well as a surgical skills curriculum for junior residents have prepared junior residents for the next steps in their training. Residents and fellows over the years are eager to learn at her feet and relish the opportunity to spend time in her operating room. Her enthusiasm for teaching was revered by leaders in the department, as she was named the Adrian Flatt Hand and Upper Extremity Fellowship Director in 2014, taking over the very fellowship that she graduated from in 2006. She was also appointed Vice Chair of Diversity in 2018, and Associate Program Director of the orthopaedic surgery residency in 2021. In recognition of her tireless dedication to the residency, the residents chose her as the Faculty Teacher of the Year in 2021.
The Annual Women in Ortho Welcome Brunch.
Dr. Caldwell, Dr. Lawler, Dr. Seiler, and Dr. Fowler.
Dr. Lawler is well regarded in the world of academia and research. She has published numerous peer-reviewed articles in high impact journals, book chapters, and textbooks. She has received multiple grants for her work in the field of hand surgery and resident education. Dr. Lawler is a reviewer for multiple journals, including Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research, the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, and the Journal of Hand Surgery. She is repeatedly invited to give lectures at multiple national meetings, including the National Association of Orthopaedic Nurses, American Society for Surgery of the Hand, and the American Orthopaedic Association. She is a nationally-recognized leader in the world of hand surgery and resident education.
Dr. Lawler’s philanthropic efforts do not go unnoticed. She volunteered her time year after year with Kids Go STEM and Girls Go STEM, outreach programs dedicated to inspiring youth to join the fields of medicine and engineering. She helped organize the Iowa Perry Initiative outreach program to encourage young women to pursue orthopaedic surgery and engineering as future careers, both disciplines in which women are underrepresented. Her works span geographical borders. She serves as an organizer of Sharing Resources Worldwide, a medical missions group bringing surgical care to underserved populations. Dr. Lawler helps plan mission trips to Siguatepeque, Honduras and travels with the group, performing surgery on children with congenital hand deformities. She looks forward to resuming the mission in the upcoming year after being on hiatus during the COVID pandemic.
Dr. Lawler, Dr. Caldwell, Dr. Kowalski, and. Dr. Olinger taking a stand against discrimination and bullying in orthopedics.
An orthopedic gathering.
Orthopedic Halloween party with Claire and Henry in 2010.
Dr. Lawler with her children Claire and Henry.
Outside of the operating room, Dr. Lawler spends what free time she has staying busy. Reading, making photo albums, cooking, playing board games – she will do it all. She enjoys traveling on vacations with her family, hiking and camping across the country. She once backpacked through the Grand Canyon while six months pregnant. Nothing can stop her. She has a passion for animals, and is currently hatching chicks and raising them to lay their own eggs while chasing around the family dog. She keeps her family nearby, as her parents are her neighbors. She continues to be a supermom to her children Henry and Claire, and has found a new educational pursuit – teaching Henry to drive.
Her accomplishments are many, but do not even begin to describe the reach of Ericka Lawler. She is truly “hands-on” in everything she does, bad puns notwithstanding. She is a fierce advocate for her residents and colleagues, a dedicated surgeon to her patients, supportive mentor, and exceptional mother, wife, and friend. Her light has only begun to shine in the world of orthopaedics, and the University of Iowa is fortunate to have been a part of her journey. We are grateful for her contributions and are honored to have been a part of her story. We dedicate this journal to her in recognition of her excellence, and only hope to live up to her legacy.