Grace Huang hails from the charming suburbs of Cleveland, Ohio. An alumna of Elon University in Elon, NC, she earned her B.S. in Exercise Science, complemented by a minor in Leadership Studies. Driven by a passion for holistic wellness, Grace furthered her education at the prestigious University of Western States in Portland, OR, where she earned her Doctor of Chiropractic degree. Today, Grace thrives as an associate chiropractor at Springs Chiropractic, located in picturesque Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Graduating from UWS in 2020, Grace has continued to live her love of wellness and nature through all of her endeavors. Grace remembers being hard on herself during her time in school. When asked what she would advise herself during the DC education, she answered, “Life isn’t just being in school. It is also collaborating. Learn from people. You can gain clinical skills and tidbits from everyone. Everyone is from different backgrounds providing a wealth of perspective and knowledge.”
Still loving the outdoors in Colorado as she did while in Portland, Grace remembers learning at UWS from Dr. Ondick about the importance of having something to look forward to. For Grace that means a hike or a ski trip with friends. She continues to maintain work life balance with intentional practices. She says, “I have rituals.” For example, she suggested turning on and off a lamp with the start and end of the workday. It creates a space and routine in the mind of “this stays here, and this is me being present.”
What made you choose UWS over other schools and/or how did your degree from UWS prepare you for your current role?
University location: I am an avid outdoors gal and wanted to live and study in the PNW.
Curriculum: I found that UWS has a very comprehensive DC program which teaches things outside of just basic manipulations (for example: minor surgery, obstetrics, and phlebotomy), which were not offered at all schools. I found having these additional courses made me a more well-rounded doctor and gave me more tools in my toolbox when evaluating patients.
Doing my preceptorship with Dr. Moreau at UWS was also a pinnacle experience which became a launching pad for my career. Being under his wing and guidance gave me the confidence to go into the “real world” and thrive. He would grill me and Derek (the other intern at the time) on the spot all throughout the day and treated us like we were already doctors. We were put under the pressure of coming up with proper diagnoses and timely patient care.
What joys and challenges have surprised you in your position?
Joys: the gratitude of the people we help through our profession. I am always energized by how much of a difference people can feel when we give them our full attention and care for them as individuals.
Challenge: learning how to run a business! We learn some tips and tricks in school, but when you are out there in the real world, there is so much to learn about being a manager, working with other employees (staff/therapists/assistants), etc.
