Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Stephany Uc.
Hi Dr. Uc, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
I graduated at the age of 16 years old and headed straight to college to study pre-med. I had always dreamed about being a cardio-thoracic surgeon, and I was set on being on. I was always the youngest in my class, so I felt like I had to catch up to those around me and try to be better. In college, I was ready to quit two weeks in. I felt so defeated and exhausted from the pre-med program.
However, my dad asked me, “Doctors exist, right? So, it’s not impossible. You can do it too.” And I would keep pushing through. At the age of 20, I graduated with my bachelor’s and got into medical school. I had no work experience, and I wanted to take a quick break from school and gain experience. I became an EMT and worked for 2 private ambulance companies and help saved many lives.
During the end of that experience, my dad got into a major car accident and had to see a chiropractor after his evaluation. He came back after the first visit and told me I was pursuing the wrong profession. He said this fit my personality more. I thought he was crazy. I was not going to change careers based on his one experience. But he took me to the chiropractic school in Dallas to check it out. I did not get out of the car.
He went inside and grabbed a card from registrar’s office, and told me they would like to speak with me. “It won’t hurt. You can always say no,” But it happened to be the best call of my life- even when I was trying to fight it. I got accepted over the phone just by asking a few questions. They told me they would cover a semester just so I can “try it out” and make an informed decision later. Needless to say, I fell in love with preventative care.
I met my now husband and business partner in chiropractic school, and he introduced me to the best method of chiropractic- Gonstead. It focuses on structural shifts within the spine and determining which segment is a root problem to certain conditions. This is where my passion lays. I have been able to help individuals from all ages thrive and flourish with the least amount of corrections to the spine, without surgery or medications.
It sounds absurd- and trust me- if I was talking to my 20-year-old self, I would be saying the same thing. But my patient’s testimonials confirm that correcting the right segment in the spine CAN make changes to the neurology and function to one’s health. You don’t need the crack-me-like-a-glowstick treatment.
Now, my husband and I run and practice at Thrive Chiropractic in Keller, Texas. Patients are always referring their friends and family and posting about Gonstead Chiropractic on their social media pages. This leads to 80% of our practice members traveling to our office anywhere from as little as 30 minutes to flights from California to see us.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It hasn’t. Changing careers is hard- especially when it comes to changing your entire perspective on health. I had it drilled into my head that surgery, medications, etc. was the best treatment to improve your health. Little did I know, there was a whole world of natural ways to help your body. The biggest battle was myself and my mind.
Once I got passed that, it was just finding way on educating the population that we are a different form of chiropractic. Most don’t believe in what we do, but Gonstead chiropractors are leading the way and helping inform medical professionals how we can help their patients in the least invasive way possible and provide results. I love what I do, and I wouldn’t change it for the world.
When you have multiple patients tell you you’re their last hope before they give up and you help change the course of their life, it’s the best feeling in the world.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Alongside my passion to help in preventative care, I am also passionate about spiritual inner healing. I became a youth leader at my church Aliento de Vida to help guide youth who are still discovering their identity. At a young age, I was bullied, and I had teachers saying racist comments to me. I had a dysfunctional home before knowing Christ, and it caused me to try to commit suicide at one point.
I felt like everything was against me. But God had other plans for me, and my life made a huge shift. That was a game-changer for me, and if I can be a vessel of Hope for that change in a youth’s life, then I am all in.
How do you define success?
Success is not just about obtaining goals and making money/getting recognition. Success is trying even when there’s failure, but you keep trying despite the outcome. There are even victories within our failures. It’s just a matter of looking at the bigger picture.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.thrivechirodfw.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/thrivechirodfw
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThriveChiroDFW
