Paul Furst - PT, DPT, OCS, CSCS

According to CAPTE (2018), the average incoming class size for Doctorate of Physical Therapy (DPT) programs in the U.S. caps at around 136. That being said, the number of applicants continues to exceed the total number of available spots by almost five times. With the idea of pursuing a DPT is still "fresh" to many students & families, the demand for these professionals has become overwhelming. The growing age of baby boomers, starting salaries, job placement/security, and everyday life skills learned through DPT programs, are just some of the many reasons this field is gaining incredible traction for millennials and younger generations to pursue. However, in order to land a promising career in the world of physical therapy, one must consider the amount of energy, time, sacrifice, and patience it takes to get there.

For this week's interview, we at Gen-Achievers sat down with Dr. Paul Furst, DPT to learn what it takes to become a Doctor of Physical Therapy. In our interview, Dr. Furst references that his educational journey and experiences throughout various internships, part-time jobs, faith, and volunteer efforts, are the key factors that have helped get him to where he is today.

In 2008, Paul graduated with a Biology degree from East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania (ESU). From there, he went on to obtain his Doctorate in Physical Therapy from Drexel University. Paul is currently the head physical therapist at Bucks Physical Therapy in Newtown, Pennsylvania. Aside from his main position, Paul is also an adjunct professor at Arcadia University within the institution's physical therapy program.

In his spare time, you can catch Paul spending time with his family, friends, and fiance, Jen. He enjoys attending church every Sunday, playing basketball before work every morning, exploring new research in the physical therapy world, and giving back to his community. We would like to thank Paul for being one of our first Gen-Achievers recipients. We hope that he continues to represent millennials, younger generations, and physical therapists alike with the same demeanor.

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Did you know you always wanted to be a physical therapist? What made you passionate about pursuing a career in physical therapy?

I knew I always wanted to help others as a child - possibly stemming from my pediatrician and how he seemed to be a mortal God to me and my family and their various ailments (I wanted to be just like him)...PT soon became my main focus and goal after my own participation in sports and getting injured/sidelined. The help I received from PTs left me in awe of how science, medicine, helping others and sports could be combined into one job! Was easily sold on it.

Picture yourself as an undergraduate student back at ESU. What are some things that you would advise your 19-year-old self to do that would've better prepared you for the future?

I was always very critical of myself to succeed in academics and social life (still am). Every obstacle I encountered made me better - reflection helps one grow - Looking back now I would have told myself to live in the moment more presently and have faith and confidence in myself and the Lord!

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It has become obvious how the healthcare industry has limited the way doctors can treat patients' by: (1) dictating the types of treatments one is covered for, (2) manipulating the prices for identical treatments from different doctors, and (3) dictating what the cost of medicines' are. Do you believe the Physical Therapy industry is currently effected as much as the medical community has been?

This is entirely true of all healthcare including PT. Unfortunately and fortunately insurance has been made affordable to all through Obamacare and revised through Trump. This means that reimbursement for providing physical therapy and all healthcare providers is down (PTs get 20 cents on the dollar) meaning we must be twice as productive in providing treatments for the public to sustain a profit. This pressure from insurance companies to not pay providers for their work is present throughout the country.

Providers in all health professions are pressured to produce so their quality of care suffers. As patients of the healthcare system - we all suffer as insurance decides to pay for only specific treatments - meaning you are left with the remaining cost- and you receive fair quality of care. Health care is a struggle for all parties involved. Radical change must be done and insurance companies should be taxed their profits. Give the profits to the paying customers and providers as a refund.

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As the head-physical therapist at your workplace, there are additional responsibilities that you have, such as budgeting & operations. Could you share some of the things that you didn't know you had to learn before taking on the position?

- Managing personalities would have been a good course to take, I have had a crash course by trial and error only. I find keeping people on task while staying productive and happy is a daily struggle. Being a strong authoritarian while also being a good understanding boss is also difficult as things you say and do affect people and their morale.

- Dealing with egos...yeah egos, ids and sub-personas requires a lot of my energy. All worth it though when the people you work with appreciate you and each other!

- Budgeting was something I learned in a personal finance class at ESU - still wish I had more background in finance aside from basic knowledge.

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Bucks Physical Therapy is a family friendly, comprehensive, and holistic orthopedic rehabilitation provider for people across all ages. Could you share some of the things your organization is doing that makes you a premier location in the healthcare industry? Also, how can people learn more about Bucks Physical Therapy?

I like to say that Bucks PT is unique because it is personalized care from people who care- that's our slogan but it's also my personal mindset and goal. I feel like it's my calling and purpose to work on healing people daily through treatment of mind, body and spirit. Injuries can be depressing - a broken body can lead to a broken mind and spirit. I love helping fix that if possible. Bucks PT does a good job at all their sites! You can access their site at www.bucksphysicaltherapy.com or Search for Bucks Physical Therapy-Newtown on Facebook.

You're also passionate about going to church every Sunday. How has this developed you as a professional? Would you say that it has made you become a more ethical individual?

Finding faith has made me a better and more rounded person. It has helped me learn the true values of being a good person through the teachings of Jesus. Reading the bible and finding faith allows me to look and value each patient I encounter. I have learned to treat each of my patients as equal beings without bias and with good intentions. This can be difficult to do daily, but my faith has allowed me to appreciate each patient for who they are and build a plan individualized to suit their physical and emotional needs.

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Let's say that I'm an 18-year-old hoping to someday become a physical therapist. What are the steps and your recommendations I should take in order to accomplish my goals?

1.) Take anatomy and physiology & physics, and make sure you have a passion for the body

2.) Figure out if you truly want to help people for a living recover from injury or trauma- if you find your answer is yes then ask if you are willing to work with life or death patients? If your answer is no - then PT, OT or Speech Pathology is for you. Most patients seen by PT and the above listed professions are in well enough health or stable condition to be seen in a hospital, inpatient or outpatient setting

3.) If you get this far - go observe at a local clinic and see if you are cut out for it!

4.) After observing - apply to college with a biology, exercise science or kinesiology major

5.) After getting in - get a 3.5 GPA, do well on the GREs and get 200 hours of observation over the next 4 years

6.) Apply to PT schools before October of your senior year in college!

7.) Get in to PT school and PASS PT school and the licensure exam! Then celebrate for a MONTH!

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There are many people who have the capabilities of becoming physical therapists, but not all of them have the grit. What are some characteristics one needs to be a successful physical therapists?

Passion, enthusiasm for people, and a desire to help others will give you the drive to be a great PT! Love everything you do in life, even the pitfalls. We do it for the patients first, not ourselves.

Are there any other tips or comments you would like to provide individuals who are currently on a similar path as you, or are on their way to pursuing a DPT?

Please respond through this blog if you have any specific questions about PT, life or direction. I hope I can help!