Following in the family’s footsteps, Sentene laughingly says she is never quite sure how to answer when people ask her if being a GP is something she always wanted to be. “My dad is also a doctor and my mum is a pharmacist,” she explains, “and becoming a doctor was just always part of the plan. I never considered anything else.”
Because getting approved for medical school isn’t easy, Sentene applied everywhere after she finished matric and initially wasn’t accepted, prompting her to study her LLB at Tuks. Fate intervened on her behalf when her niece’s boyfriend – who also applied to Medunsa (now SMU) – went to check the list of approved candidates. “He saw my name on the list and told me I had in fact got in. If it hadn’t been for this happy coincidence, I probably wouldn’t be a doctor today,” she smiles broadly.
My parents were actually my inspiration in taking the leap to open up my own practice.
After completing her internship (two years) and community service (one year), Sentene decided to locum a bit, but soon realised she had to make a plan to start earning a living. “I decided to open my own practice and approached the bank for a loan, but they turned me down,” she says. “Luckily, my husband helped me with my start-up and I opened up my practice in November 2022. Believe me when I say the last two years have brought on many challenges and tears, but I have a great support structure in my husband, mother-in-law and my parents, who have stood by my side no matter what. My parents were actually my inspiration in taking the leap to open up my own practice.”
While she is happily settled now, life, as we all know, has its ups and downs, and smooth seas don’t make skilled sailors. During her fourth year in med school, something completely unplanned happened. Sentene fell pregnant. “This was obviously a big life event,” she laughs. “I come from a small-town community and it was a huge disappointment for my parents. But they took it in their stride, and tough love was the order of the day. They explained that while they are terribly sorry to hear about my unfortunate circumstances, I would be finishing med school regardless. Basically, it was a case of ‘you have come this far and there is no backing out now’. In retrospect, I think God has a sense of humour. I had been feeling lonely and prayed about it, and a month later I was pregnant,” she laughs.
Sentene goes on to explain that while it was tough, it was God who carried her through the next few years. “I can honestly say that falling pregnant was never an excuse for me. It motivated me even more to finish my studies, because I knew I had to make sure I could give my child a future. For every young girl reading this article, remember that it is okay to make a mistake, but you have to own up to that mistake and take responsibility. Mistakes are not excuses; they should become a motivation to be the best possible version of you. Lana is my flower child, we have been through so much together and our bond will always be unique.”
Sentene’s husband Tiaan has also been a source of inspiration and strength. They met in Woolies in 2018 when Tiaan was chatting to a colleague of Sentene’s, who decided that the two would make a good match. “Tiaan had a lot to consider, as I already had a three-year-old daughter. It was a slow start, but he grew up with a single mother and that resonated with him. He soon learned to love Lana, my daughter (now seven), and while I would not say it was love at first sight, Tiaan and I found a unique feeling of safety and security with each other. In Afrikaans we have a saying, ‘dit is lekker om iemand in jou hoek te hê’ (it’s good to have someone in your corner). Tiaan is in my corner.”
Sentene and Tiaan spontaneously decided to start trying for a family soon after they got married, and Sentene quickly fell pregnant. They got the surprise of their lives when they went for their first scan and the doctor told them there were two babies. “Tiaan almost fainted and I started to cry, because I had an inkling of what was waiting for us,” Sentene says with a wry smile. It was a long pregnancy and Sentene was on bedrest from 24 weeks. The final 10 weeks were a huge challenge and she was admitted for an emergency C-section at 34 weeks. The twins were in ICU for 13 days. A healthy little girl and boy, Mart-Louise and Mauritz, are now two-and-a-half years old and keep their parents well and truly on their toes.
Sentene’s philosophy in life is to work hard, play hard, love hard; and spending quality time with her family is high on that list. She laughs as she explains that she always makes a joke about the feminists of the 1950s who decided that women also need to work. “The truth is that I wouldn’t want it any other way. My practice (my fourth baby), my three kids and my husband are what I live for. I love being a doctor, and I believe there is still room for being a good primary healthcare practitioner. That is what I am striving for, to serve my community and be the best doctor that I can be.”
She adds that while it’s not always easy to switch off from GP mode, she tries to keep everything separate by organising her life into boxes; the work (doctor) box, the home box, the mum box, the wife box. “This is sometimes hard for me,” she admits. “I would classify myself as an introverted extrovert, and I need alone time to recharge. At the moment life is quite hectic, so quality time consists of just getting everybody dressed and fed! But I do believe that you cannot pour from an empty cup. And if the mom is emotionally okay, the whole family is okay. Life will bowl bouncers, so either learn to duck or hit a six!”
