Software engineer explains why time, EMS culture, and self-doubt delayed becoming an EMT until 2024

The author, a software engineer with a long-standing interest in medicine, finally earned an EMT license in 2024 after years of postponement. They rank the reasons for the delay, from practical barriers like time and cost to concerns about EMS culture, fitting in, and past negative experiences with first responders.

The essay highlights how volunteer and part-time medical pathways can be blocked less by training difficulty than by social and institutional barriers. It also points to a broader opportunity: making first responder communities more welcoming could help attract people from tech and other fields who want to contribute but feel culturally out of place.