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Software engineer Ben Stolovitz describes why he put off EMT training before earning his certification in 2024. His account highlights practical barriers—including time, cost and EMS culture—and explains that certification does not require someone to make ambulance work a career.
Software engineer Ben Stolovitz has published a personal account ranking the reasons he delayed EMT training before earning his certification in 2024. His report describes obstacles including the time and cost of an accelerated course, concerns about EMS workplace culture and uncertainty about whether he wanted to work on an ambulance.
Stolovitz writes that his interest in medicine began years earlier, after a friend suggested EMT training while he was in college. He eventually took a month away from his software engineering job to complete an accelerated Wilderness EMT course through NOLS. He says the program lasted 28 consecutive days and cost about $5,000, excluding travel, car rental and time off work. He describes a typical course as closer to $2,000, but says even that amount can be a substantial expense.
He lists concerns about EMS culture and the time commitment among the more serious reasons for waiting. Stolovitz recounts having a bad experience with first responders that discouraged him from pursuing certification for a period. He also describes some EMS services as burned out or socially insular. Those are his personal observations, not a survey of services or a claim that every workplace has the same culture.
Other concerns proved less decisive for him. Stolovitz worried he would not fit in with either first responders or EMT students, but says his class included enthusiastic young pre-med students as well as people closer to his age. He also questioned whether training made sense if he did not want an ambulance job. His answer: certification gave him medical and first-aid skills, including repeated practice with CPR and AEDs, even if he did not plan to make EMS his main occupation.
Training Beyond an EMS Career
Stolovitz’s account speaks to people interested in emergency care who may see certification as an all-or-nothing career choice. He argues from personal experience that learning EMT skills does not obligate someone to work on an ambulance, while also acknowledging that practical experience matters for someone seeking to become an effective working EMT.
The story also lays out real barriers that readers can weigh: tuition, time away from work, access to volunteer roles and workplace culture. His experience cannot establish how common those barriers are, but it shows how they shaped one person’s decision to delay training and what changed his mind.
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From Early Interest to Certification
Stolovitz says his interest in medicine persisted for years before he enrolled. Before committing to EMT school, he tried lower-cost preparation, including reading, CPR and Stop the Bleed classes, and a weekend Wilderness First Aid course. He writes that these options did not satisfy his desire for more extensive training.
His accelerated course was possible because, he says, his employer had moved to unlimited vacation, his manager was supportive and he could afford the travel and tuition. He contrasts that route with a more typical semester of evening classes. His account also notes that maintaining National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians requirements can be difficult without ambulance work; the supplied report does not detail current certification rules or how they vary by credential and state.
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Limits of One Person’s Account
The report is a personal account, not an investigation into EMS training or a representative study of EMTs’ working conditions. It does not establish how widespread the culture issues Stolovitz describes are, or whether prospective students in other regions would encounter the same costs, course schedules or volunteer opportunities.
The supplied material also does not give the article’s publication date, Stolovitz’s specific certification status today, or details of any ambulance shifts he has taken since training. It does not identify a particular volunteer service he joined. His comments about certification upkeep are not a substitute for checking the applicable requirements with the relevant credentialing body and local authorities.
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Using Skills After Training
Stolovitz’s report does not announce a new course, policy or career move. He presents certification as a way to gain skills, while noting that regular ambulance experience can matter for people who want to work as EMTs. Readers considering the same path would need to check current course fees, time commitments, local service opportunities and credential-maintenance rules before enrolling.
Whether Stolovitz goes on to take ambulance shifts or maintain his credential is not stated in the supplied account. The next step for readers is therefore personal rather than a scheduled public milestone: decide whether the training’s cost and demands are worthwhile for the skills and work they want to pursue.
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Key Questions
Did Ben Stolovitz become an EMT?
Yes. Stolovitz says he completed EMT training in 2024 after delaying for several years.
Why did he delay EMT training?
He cites time and cost, concerns about EMS workplace culture, uncertainty about fitting in, and not wanting to work on an ambulance. These are his personal reasons, not findings about all prospective EMTs.
How much did his EMT course cost?
Stolovitz says his accelerated NOLS Wilderness EMT course cost about $5,000, excluding travel, car rental and time off. He says a typical course may cost around $2,000, but that estimate is not presented as a universal price.
Does EMT certification mean someone must work on an ambulance?
Stolovitz says he did not view ambulance work as necessary to value the training. However, he also writes that ambulance experience is important for becoming an effective working EMT. Specific work and certification requirements depend on the credential and local rules.
Source: hn
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