Dr Jamilah Forde has two loves and she is married to both – medicine and the stage.
And though the two disciplines aren’t an obvious pairing, the 27-year-old is determined to make the matrimony work.
She believes having more than one interest is vital, and from a young age she went after what she wanted and has done so with great precision.
From the shore at Enterprise Coast Road, Jamilah looked to the horizon, which provided a beautiful backdrop with the vibrant colours of the setting sun fused with grey skies. This years she completed her Masters Residency in Family Medicine and is at the top of her chart.
Jamilah told EASY she first fell in love with medicine after her then paediatrician Dr Clyde Cave impressed her many years ago. At the time, she was in for her MMR vaccination.
She said his skill and approach to the task were unforgettable.
While admitting that she wanted to be a paediatrician, she did say she was not disappointed since in her current specialty she still gets to deal with children.
Jamilah is so dedicated to her craft that when she completed her first three years at the University of the West Indies Cave Hill (UWI) at 22, she had a straight GPA of 4.0.
Though she has always been grounded, she said, medicine was a catalyst in her development.
“At 22 I had to be responsible for other people and not just myself so it makes you grow up fast. And a lot of the frivolous things that younger persons enjoy you realise aren’t that important in the grand scheme of things and you realise that very quickly,” she said.
This young doctor went from behind the microscope to basically being under one when she participated in the Miss Universe Barbados.
At 14 while still a secondary school student, the then reigning Miss Harrison College approached her and asked if she was interested in participating. After some hesitation, she caved.
“I remember thinking back then ‘Why would I ever do a pageant? I don’t really care.’ But I joined it and my competitive nature kicked in and then I realised that I had a knack for it. By the time it was over and I had won, I realised that I had some potential,” she said.
If Jamilah is not hanging out with her friends at home, caring for patients at Elcourt Clinic, teaching as a part-time lecturer at UWI, keeping track of her energetic dogs Nick, 15, and Pixie, eight, she is dancing or at the gym. She joked that the only other thing left to do in between is sleep.
But this hectic schedule keeps her fit, and she loves that. The experience, she said, has also served her well in many of the other local and regional pageants she took part in.
These include the Interschool Pageant, Queen of Barbados, Barbados Bikini, Caribbean International Bikini, Eastervale, Caribbean Fiesta, Aquavale, and Caribbean Carnival Queen.
However, it is no secret that the coveted Miss Universe Barbados title seems to be the most elusive. She entered the competition in 2016 after the local franchise was reinstated and again last year. She was first runner-up both times.
“The first year was a rush; it came up quickly and it was a crash course for me because I had not competed in about four years and I had to relearn all the basics,” she recalled.
Though some people questioned her decision to re-enter, which she does not regret, others applauded her tenacity.
“When I went back, it was more so about asking myself, ‘Was I ready to give up? and I was not, because a life without dreams is not living. I don’t want to look back and have regrets.
“I could deal with a concrete answer of ‘no’ better than not knowing, and I don’t like sitting around being a hypocrite, while encouraging other people to go for it and being positive for them but not being positive for myself. What sense does that make?” she said.
She said that though she was disappointed with both outcomes, she had put her best foot forward on the two occasions.
“It was a lot of pressure the second time around and it’s only natural to be disappointed . . . but I felt less stressed this time. Because having been through it, I knew what to expect. And having the support made the difference. There were a lot of people who came out the wood work who said they were rooting for me and I had no idea.
“And I don’t feel like I have lost out in any way. If I had quit every time I wanted to quit, I wouldn’t have gotten out of first year. So it didn’t bother me this time around and I was actually happy with my performance,” she said.
When asked if she would participate again, she simply said, “Stay tuned because I don’t know yet.”
Jamilah said over time she has learned the importance of humility.
“I remember looking in the mirror and being like ‘Oh my gosh, I look so good.’ And I’ll admit that when I first started competing, my first ten, it was more egocentric – which it should never be.
“But I like having goals [and] being challenged and pageantry keeps me busy.
“I have a sense of charity and giving back and for me it’s not enough to say that I do it in my profession alone,” she added.
If she had won the last competition, she would have continued to push the HIV/AIDS discussion during her journey to the Miss Universe stage, she said.
Despite any of the disappointments she has seen in life, she thanked her parents Jeane and Marva Forde, her classmates and best friend Katherine Kennedy for always lifting her spirits.
Jamilah said she will eventually retire from performing but will in the meantime, keep her eyes on opening her own practice one day.
She acknowledged she would never forget the lesson learned from both passions.
“Medicine has taught me not to take time for granted because I cannot tell you how many times I have spoken to somebody and then the next day they are not there anymore. Competing in pageants has taught me to train like I’ve never won and perform like you’ve never lost. Life is a stage, so you have to work it – that’s what pageantry has taught me,” she added. (TG)
