The Story of TRIBE.MCR
Thank you for taking the time to read this blog post.
My name is Jessicarr and I am the founder of TRIBE.MCR. We have a series of blog posts in store but where better place to start, than with the story behind our brand.
I have been very fortunate to enjoy an active lifestyle, right from being a young child. I remember leaving school feeling excited to go to ballet, swimming or just playing in the garden with my brother. There were no mobile phones, no Snapchat and no Instagram to distract us – we were very lucky. My mum encouraged us to try out activities, not to be the best, or to win competitions but to have fun. This is an ethos that I hold in my heart to this day.
In 2008, I went to University to train as a Physiotherapist. I thrived from learning about anatomy and physiology, as well as exercise prescription, gait analysis and postural assessment. I spent over 1000 hours in various hospitals and watched the effects of movement and exercise on recovery from illness and injury. I graduated with First-class honours and decided to use this qualification to apply to study medicine. The idea of being a doctor had never been introduced to me at school but I gave it a good go and I have never regretted the decision.
Fast forward to 2018 and I am now a practising NHS Doctor. I have worked in many clinical settings such as Accident & Emergency, Paediatrics and Surgery. I love my job and I feel very lucky to do what I do. Whilst I enjoy the thrill of working in hospital medicine, what really motivates me is having a closer relationship with patients, over a longer period of time. This is why I have applied to train as a General Practitioner, or GP.
I am a true advocate for preventative medicine. For me, there is no greater feeling than seeing patients use simple lifestyle measures, for example eating a healthy diet or becoming more physically active to improve their health. I have had the honour of working with a number of patients who have quite literally prevented the onset of diseases such as Type 2 Diabetes by these methods.
I am also acutely aware, though, of the barriers faced when making positive lifestyle changes. We live in a world where the perception of health is often skewed by the media and becoming more healthy can seem over-complicated and often exclusive. You would be forgiven for thinking that to be healthy you have to wear fancy yoga pants and drink green smoothies. The reality is that a large proportion of the UK, and many of my patients in fact, are unable to prioritise health in their life for financial and social reasons.
If we are to achieve long term sustainable lifestyle change, these barriers need to be recognised and overcome. That is a topic for another day…
I am now at the stage in my career, where I can take a step back from full-time medicine and explore other career opportunities. I have always dreamt of forging a career where I can combine my role as a GP with my passion for movement and exercise. And this is where the concept of TRIBE.MCR was born...
