NOT only do they look and sound alike, Twins Tamara and Tamika Henry have chosen the same career path and are both medical doctors practising at the same hospital.

The two believe that their path was chosen by God.

“The Lord chose it for us,” Dr Tamika told the Jamaica Observer North East. “I never in my life thought that I would want to do anything else but become a doctor,” she added.

Members of the Seventh-day Adventist faith, the Port Maria, St Mary residents not only cater to the medical needs of their patients, but also their spiritual and emotional needs as they often pray with patients.

“If you are not healthy physically, you will not be healthy spiritually,” is a belief shared by the sisters.

It is their love for their patients, for family and a desire to be positive role models that have been strong motivating factors, they said.

Being from humble beginnings, and growing up in a single-parent household were not deterrents to success for the two who were encouraged by their mother to do their best.

Dr Tamika explained: “She never pressured you. She wanted you to do your best, but she was someone who was very supportive.”

“She always says if you do your best then that’s ok,” Dr Tamara added.

With a strong mother, who according to Dr Tamara, would do anything legal to ensure her children got an education, the twins had no problem attaining their long-held dreams of becoming medical doctors.

She believes that no matter where one is from they can accomplish their dreams, as she told us, nothing is too hard for God. And quoting a pastor from her church she said, ‘nothing can stand in the way of a dream birthed in the mind of God”.

Today their mother is very proud of the last of four children, and they, in turn, are proud of her.

“We are very proud of her because she has worked tirelessly to make the dreams of all her children a reality,” the doctors stated.

Dr Tamara, who says she lives by the philosophy: ‘No mind is so dull that God cannot make it brilliant’, encouraged young people not to settle for mediocrity in their quest to achieve.

Her goal is to become an obstetrician and gynaecologist while her sister wishes to be a peadiatric emergentologist.

Outside their jobs as doctors, the former St Mary High students are actively involved in their church. Both are part of the prayer band and are in charge of the Health Ministry Department. Dr Tamara also does career talks at schools and enjoys cooking and creating her own recipes. Tamika, on the other hand, reads for fun.

Persons who have worked with the twin doctors described them as loving, kind and patient.