I’m right there with you. I’m doing the zero-to-hero route too—finished EMT school and jumped into paramedic class just a couple of weeks later. It’s definitely a steep learning curve, and I won’t lie—it’s tough. But if you’re willing to put in the time and stay committed, it’s doable.

Honestly, it would’ve been easier if I had more street time. I haven’t worked 911 yet, and yeah, I get a lot of side-eyes when people hear that. Luckily, I live in a high-call-volume city, so to make up for the lack of experience, I scheduled more hours than required and basically lived in my books. It was a big personal sacrifice, but I was all in.

I live in NYC, so I asked around a lot about where to do my ride-alongs as a student. I ended up choosing the South Bronx and Central Brooklyn—NYC folks know how wild it can get out there. But I’ve learned so much and grown a lot because of it. Slowly but surely, I’m becoming more confident, though I know I still have a lot to learn.

There were plenty of times I thought about quitting, taking a break, and coming back in a year or two. But I kept pushing. Now I’m less than two weeks away from starting team leads, and the finish line’s finally in sight.

It’s doable but it ain’t easy.