Dr. Paul Geuy DDS, MPH - It’s Not What You Say but What You Do That Speaks Volumes About Your Character (Dentist from Texas, USA)

It's not what you say but what you do that speaks volumes about your character. Consistency, perseverance, & arduousness build & define one's character. These are a few of the many things I have learned throughout my life.

Tell us about your upbringing, background and journey?

It's not what you say but what you do that speaks volumes about your character. Consistency, perseverance, & arduousness build & define one's character. These are a few of the many things I have learned throughout my life. Through growing up & being involved in varsity athletics, adversity & hardships have been prevalent factors in my life. 

I grew up in a poor home, well below the poverty line, often having to choose between paying the gas or electric bill each month. I watched my parents struggle every day to keep the roof over my head. Times were hard, yet they worked even harder to provide for me. 

My parents have been, and still, continue to be, the most consistent thing in my life, even through all the hardships & adversity. Every day they worked very hard to provide for me, yet they still found a way to come to support me at every one of my baseball games, from high school through college.

By simply observing my parents I have learned a great deal about what it means to persevere, work hard, & remain consistent in all other aspects of my life. These lessons I applied to my student-athlete career at The Ohio State University. Growing up many people told me that I was never going to amount to anything, that I would never play Division I athletics. 

However, remembering my parent's teachings & my “never say die” attitude I was determined to accomplish my goal & would not stop until I obtained it. In my freshman year, I played baseball at the OSU Lima campus. I transferred to the main campus in Columbus my sophomore year & tried out for the varsity baseball team. Unfortunately, I did not make the roster. 

Despite this disappointment, I remained determined to play on the varsity baseball team. I tried out & made the roster on the OSU Club Baseball Squad that same year. I continued my training, working hard every day. Doing what I could to get better. That summer I obtained a job on the OSU athletic grounds crew; so that I could gain access to all of the equipment I needed to train to walk on again.

One full year later, after walking on unsuccessfully, I walked on again for The Ohio State University Varsity Baseball Team & clinched a roster spot. That day I set a goal to contribute to the overall success of the team as soon as possible. 

I continued to persevere & work hard while still being consistent on & off the field. It took another year, but I was able to be a contributor in 2011. I am looking forward to being a large contributor in the 2012 season.

It may not seem like it, but baseball has directly translated into my interest & desire to become a dentist. If it were not for the orthodontic & dental fields’ intervention in my life I would not have had the confidence to take on the challenges that I have been faced with. Throughout my childhood, I was teased & tormented so badly for how my teeth looked. 

I didn’t want to smile, make new friends, or play baseball for fear of being made fun of. So, my entire family chipped in & put me through orthodontic treatment. After the treatment was finished, my freshman year of High School, I was a completely different person. I became a new, more confident person. I wasn’t ashamed of how I looked anymore. 

This is what I want to be able to do for other people. I want to help give the gift of confidence so that others, like me, can have the confidence to overcome any adversity to achieve their goals. I want to work hard to bring good dental care to those of the underserved, the underprivileged, & the timid. I want people to want to come to the dentist, to become more confident in pursuing their dreams & aspirations. 

Had it not been for the confidence I gained from my orthodontic/dental treatment I received I may not have become the same person I am today. My parents & baseball, collectively, have taught me everything I needed to know to be a better athlete, student, & person. Learning the importance of; working as a team, being a leader, yet knowing when to follow, sacrificing for the greater good, discipline, working hard, being consistent, and never giving up. 

Perseverance, consistency, & arduousness have defined me in everything I do. I never quit & I never let up when I set my sights on what I want to accomplish. I have my sights set on becoming a dentist, so that I may help those who feel the way I felt growing up. 

To help give them the confidence they need to succeed, especially those who cannot afford dental care. Ultimately, I wanted to become a dentist to help give people the confidence they need to accomplish great things & to have a better quality of life.



We salute your work during the pandemic, where did you get the inspiration to work so hard?

Because of the patients. We were only able to do so much during the shut down but the ability and willingness of my profession to get back to work as soon as we can is a testament to how much we want to serve our patients needs



How do you expect digital health to grow over the next 5 years?

Through the pandemic, we saw how important technology is in our everyday lives and the necessity that is the digital workspace for us to carry on remotely in the most uncertain of times. 

Over the next five years, I anticipate that digital health will start to become more commonplace as we start to explore avenues to provide patient care and bridge the gap for those patients where access to care is less than optimal.

What are your concerns about Digital Health?

With any kind of digital entity, there are always outside entities that will try to steal/compromise the integrity of the platforms for personal gain. Cyber security will be way more important in the future which will most likely drive up the cost of care sadly.



Can you let us know any one application of Digital Health in your country which has impressed you?

The Da Vinci robot system where a surgeon would perform surgery in one state on a patient in another. Our capabilities are beginning to look a lot more limitless as time passes.



What is your message for aspiring doctors and the young generation? Which is the best medical college according to you?

My best message for young aspiring doctors is to never give up. Never give up. All of the experiences you have, good and bad, will shape you who you are. The best lessons are the hardest learned but in the end, those are the lessons that will make you a better doctor. 

I didn’t get into dental school the first time around but I didn’t let it get to me. I worked and studied even harder and grew as a person and as a future doctor and I feel that it makes me much more understanding as a doctor.



What does your typical day look like and what do you like to do besides work?

I am in the army so I wake up super early to work out, then go to the clinic and take care of patients, then go home and workout again (Powerlifting/ Heavyweights) then eat and hang out with my wife and 4 animals and then go to bed and do it all over again. I love what I do so that helps!

Interviewed by - Jayasree

This interview is sponsored by Plus91 Technologies, a leading Digital Health firm.