Georgine Lamvu, MD, MPH, FACOG

“People do not think of me--a gynecologist--as a pain specialist, but I am.”

GPS Orlando, Florida

Typical Day “I spend most of my time educating people on how to evaluate, treat, and research pelvic and vaginal pain. I also spend a good deal of time building collaborative research networks and obsess a lot about how to create the next generation of pelvic pain providers and be a good mentor.”

Persona “People do not think of me--a gynecologist--as a pain specialist, but I am. I focus on teaching patients and providers what they need to know about chronic pain physiology and put it all in the perspective of the pelvis and genitalia, so that we can overcome the stigma and isolation that our patients experience and promote treatment of this type of pain like we do for other chronic pain syndromes. I spend a good deal of time teaching folks that not all pain in the pelvis is endometriosis.”

Social Media Habits “I am a Facebook and Twitter person. The truth is my favorite type of communication is face-to-face. I just don’t think the complexities of chronic pain can be effectively communicated without face-to-face interactions.”

People “I most admire Marie Curie, the first woman to win the Nobel prize and whose work eventually went on to develop the X-ray. She was a fabulous scientist whose discovery changed medicine. ’Nuff said!”

Words “My most recent favorite read is Drug Dealer, MD.* It really emphasizes how providers can do just as much harm (unintentionally) as good. But I also like to unwind and read geeky sci-fi stuff like my favorite the Mistborn trilogy. In those worlds, nothing is impossible, and pain is just a state of mind.”

Popcorn “I am definitely a Star Wars geek! I was born and raised in Romania, so the first time I saw it was in a small outdoor theatre with Romanian subtitles. Even so, I thought it was the coolest movie ever, and I was a Princess Leia fan all the way. Pretty much anything that has to do with strong warrior women is right up my alley.”

PAINWeek “I like collaborating across specialties, so during PAINWeek I really enjoy getting exposure to chronic pain from a perspective other than the pelvis. It’s the mixture that makes PAINWeek unique and the perfect combination between science and clinical practice. It’s also a great place for novices and experts alike.” 

*Drug Dealer, MD: How Doctors Were Duped, Patients Got Hooked, and Why It’s So Hard to Stop by Anna Lembke