Dr Lucienne van Schalkwyk is a general surgeon specialising in breast care. After completing her MBChB degree with distinction from the University of the Free State in 2007, Dr van Schalkwyk did her internship and community service before returning to the same university to complete her specialisation.

In 2015 she completed her surgical training, obtaining the Fellowship of the College of Surgeons of South Africa (FCS(SA) and her Masters of Medicine(MMed Gen Surg). After that Dr van Schalkwyk served as consultant surgeon in the Breast and Endocrine unit at Universitas Academic Hospital, followed by a clinical attachment in the Breast Surgery, Plastic Surgery and Head and Neck units at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York.

Upon her return to South Africa, Dr van Schalkwyk joined Professor Carol-Ann Benn's Breast Care Centre of Excellence for a mentorship, which only encouraged her interest in breast cancer treatment and research.

After going into private practice in 2018, Dr van Schalkwyk offers bespoke breast surgery for a range of breast conditions, and currently sees patients at two locations in Gauteng: at Life Groenkloof Hospital in Groenkloof, Pretoria,  and Mediclinic Sandton in Bryanston, Johannesburg.

From these three practices Dr van Schalkwyk provides surgical treatment of various breast conditions including breast cysts, ductal ectasia, fibroadenomas, intraductal papillomas, breastfeeding related problems and all types of breast cancer on a individualised level, as each surgery is as unique as the patient.

Prizes and Awards

  • Clinical Excellence Award: Runner-up to the Best Free Paper, ASSA SAGES 2017 meeting
  • Olga Stathoulis Prize: Best Free Paper - presented at Breast Interest Group of South Africa (BIGOSA) 2015 Annual Scientific Meeting
  • Medical Association of South Africa: OFS branch prize - awarded to the best MBChB final year student
  • Van Schaik Prize - awarded to best overall MBChB IV student
  • Tyco Medal and Prize - MBChB IV student with highest mark in general surgery
  • Pharmacology Prize - best achievement in pharmacology in phase II of MBChB degree
  • Undergraduate Research Prize - awarded to the undergraduate student that obtained the highest mark in the undergraduate research project