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Dr. Ruth Morales
Doctor of Physical Therapy
Whole Wellness Physical Therapy and Chiropractic
When Dr. Ruth Morales first arrived on Harper College’s campus, she was in her early 20s.
She wasn’t quite ready yet.
But Morales returned a few years later to take a single class, hoping it would get her educational career back on track. It was anatomy, and that’s when she “fell in love with science” and had a teacher who gave her the encouragement she needed.
“I was unsure if I wanted to go down the college path,” Morales said. “But I was assured that I was where I was supposed to be.”
Morales took several more classes over the years, then moved on from Harper to eventually get her doctorate in physical therapy at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine. Now, Morales works as Doctor of Physical Therapy at Whole Wellness Physical Therapy and Chiropractic and is also a Certified Lymphedema Therapist, specializing in the treatment of patients with neurologic, orthopedic, vestibular, cardiovascular and cancer-related conditions.
At Harper, she received the encouragement she needed to keep going despite her initial doubts.
“I got to experience college, but not at the size of a four-year university, and that made a big difference for me,” Morales said.
It wasn’t always easy. Morales sought help at Harper Tutoring Center, where she received coaching and encouragement to stick with tough classes like chemistry.
“Harper really guided me through it. The people who worked in that center were really, really helpful,” she said. “I always tell people that Harper has so many ways to help you succeed. Take advantage of them. You don’t get that anywhere else.”
She’s the one helping people now. Her work as a physical therapist includes providing pro bono care to patients from underserved communities. Being fluent in Spanish helps her reach people who can face barriers to accessing care.
Morales said she enjoys being a physical therapist because she gets to spend one-on-one time with patients and see them progress every day, the kind of personal connection that a medical doctor may not get to have.
Morales encourages current students to stick with Harper, even when doing so feels challenging.
“It can be a really hard road. It can feel like it’s going to take forever to get where you want to be,” Morales said. “Just push through it. Nothing worth achieving is ever easy. Everything worth doing takes hard work.”