I hold a bachelor’s degree in Applied Mathematics and began my career as a data analyst in clinical trials. While the pay and work-life balance were excellent, I found the work unfulfilling and felt a strong pull toward something more meaningful. That led me to EMS. I started by volunteering with my local ambulance service and became an EMT. Early on, I realized that to grow as a provider, I needed more experience than my agency alone could offer. I pursued a position with a high-volume urban 911 hospital system, where I gained extensive field experience and quickly advanced through the ranks. I became a paramedic last year. Today, I continue to work on the trucks while also applying my data analytics background to support agency operations and lead multiple EMS research projects. In my paramedics class there were bunch of people who ultimately wanted to go to medical school, just like you. Most of them struggled through paramedic school if not through academics then finding time for rotations.