Paging Dr Tamaryn Green: Miss South Africa 2018 is a medical doctor with innovative ideas for better conditions on both the patient’s and the doctor’s side of the bed. Photo: Delwyn Verasamy
You were born in the Boland town of Worcester and later moved to Paarl. What do you remember most about your childhood and schooling?
I remember really enjoying school, having lots of friends and lots of fun. I’d always been a hardworking child. Starting from pre-school I was quite competitive and wanted to perform academically. I remember my parents always showing up for whatever the task I threw myself into again, from sports games, athletic days or poetry recitals. I am very blessed to have had a wonderful childhood.
Did you always want to be a doctor?
Not really. Growing up, I had a phase in which I wanted to be a painter or teacher. Only once I entered high school my interest in medicine ignited. My dad always wanted to be a doctor but due to circumstances in the apartheid era it was challenging to do so. I think this stuck with me and a part of me wanted to do it for him. Fortunately, I really do love it.
You modelled while you were a student …
It wasn’t easy. I sometimes had to ask my modelling agency to assist with finding jobs that didn’t necessarily require casting for it, as my schedule wouldn’t allow time for it. My agency understood that my study schedule was hectic and this helped a lot with balancing modelling with studies. My studies always took first priority.
In 2015 you had a life-changing experience. Share your journey to recovery with us.
In 2015 I was diagnosed with TB lymphadenitis. It came as an absolute shock and had a major impact on my psyche. After overcoming the shock of the news, I started my six-month treatment with confidence that I would complete the course without a glitch and I’d continue my studies. Unfortunately, the TB treatment and its side-effects had other plans. In my fifth month of treatment I fell ill as a result of my medication. I developed hepatitis with nausea and vomiting becoming the routine.
I also feared the stigma that was associated with TB. I asked my parents not to share the news with any of our family or friends for fear that I’d be treated differently. So it was quite a lonely, difficult road.
Eventually, it became so overwhelming I had to seek help from my university and friends. I had to postpone my exam, which is a very big deal for a medical student. But after seeking help I felt so much relief and was actually able to deal with the illness better.
This was the biggest lesson I learnt: that seeking help and being vulnerable does not make you weak, in fact it shows so much strength.
How did becoming Miss South Africa and a runner-up in the Miss Universe pageant change your life?
Winning Miss SA opened up a whole new world for me, literally and figuratively. Coming from a small town and then moving to the big city of Johannesburg to travelling around the world. It presented new opportunities and allowed me to meet and learn from people in different spheres of life.
The whole experience honestly changed my life for the better. I became a more confident, informed and independent person. My love for South Africa grew even greater with the love and support from its people. It was one of the best years of my life.
How difficult was the transition from being a beauty queen to a practising medical doctor?
Not terribly difficult, just eye opening. Never mind the clear change of wardrobe, replacing heels with takkies and dresses with scrubs, but more importantly, moving from a position of status as Miss SA in which you’re treated with respect and taken care of to a position as a junior doctor which often does not receive the same treatment. This was the most frustrating part. It allowed me to clearly see that many of our doctors are working in very challenging conditions and deserve a lot better.
Was being a TB survivor the motivation behind the launch of the #BreakTheStigma campaign?
I was shy to have TB when I was first diagnosed because of the stigma associated with it. Often those with TB are isolated, seen as unhygienic, et cetera. This acted as a barrier to me firstly processing my illness properly, then sharing my status and eventually managing my illness to the best of my ability. It made the course of my illness longer and lonelier. And yes, this was my motivation for my #BreakTheStigma campaign.
You survived Covid-19. What was the worst memory of this experience for you?
The intense backache and feeling of loneliness when isolating.
Thousands of people die annually of TB. What can be done about this?
Tuberculosis deserves the same attention as Covid-19. TB has been with us for centuries, yet we’re still stuck with no vaccine and medications that have to be taken for months on end and that have many side effects. With Covid-19, a vaccine was developed in a matter of months.
TB has to be spoken about more and have the government invest more into finding better treatment and diagnostic methods. TB should become a normal topic of discussion and follow the same pattern as what happened with HIV.
At first the topic of HIV was taboo, today, we speak of HIV with ease and have access to medications that can help HIV patients live a long healthy life.
You and Ze Nxumalo had your umembeso (part of the traditional Zulu wedding process) in October. Can we expect a white wedding?
Yes, you can expect a white wedding next — the date is still to be finalised.
Is there anything interesting we don’t know about the two of you and what do you do to relax?
We both love the bush. Our perfect time of relaxation is on a safari observing the wildlife.
What do you think about the controversy of Miss SA going to Israel?
No comment.
Knowing what you know today, if given the opportunity to change one thing in the public health system what would it be? And what is next for Dr Green?
There are many things I’d like to change, starting with giving our doctors better working hours to allow them to work at their most optimal state and take care of their own health as well. This in itself will already improve quality of care for our patients.
Second an electronic, online system that stores all patient information that can be accessed every time a patient presents. This will cut the patient-to-doctor time by half and avoid loads of paperwork and re-taking histories at every visit. Patient files and discharge letters often get lost.
And lastly improving the state of our healthcare facilities and improving resource availability.
Next for Dr Green, who knows? At the moment it’s simple, getting happily married and focusing on my career [laughs].
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