Tamara is a general and colorectal surgeon specializing in inflammatory bowel conditions and colorectal cancer. She completed surgical training in New Zealand's North Island, followed by sub-specialty training at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. She finished the Australasian Colorectal Training Program with rotations in Melbourne and Leeds before establishing her practice in Christchurch.

At Christchurch Hospital, she manages the Exenteration service for complex pelvic malignancies. As a senior lecturer with the University of Otago Christchurch, she earned a PhD focused on colorectal cancer in inflammatory bowel disease, with particular interest in early-onset colorectal cancer and molecular aspects of colorectal disease.

Beyond medicine, she pursues running, art, and reading.