Saving Lives on the Streets Was Just the Beginning—How One Paramedic Took the Next Step to Becoming a Military Doctor

Third-Year Uniformed Services University medical student parlays EMS experience into a career in Military Medicine

Then-Paramedic Evan Komorowski (right) and a supervisor working the medical detail for the

2022 Harvard Commencement ceremony. (Photo credit: Evan Komorowski, USU)

February 11, 2024 by Vivian Mason

U.S. Air Force 2nd Lt. Evan Komorowski has spent years answering emergency calls—now he’s answering a higher calling. With seven years in emergency medical services (EMS) under his belt, the former EMT and paramedic is now a third-year medical student at the Uniformed Services University (USU), working toward a career in emergency medicine.

Komorowski’s journey into medicine began at Harvard University, where he volunteered as an EMT through the school’s collegiate EMS program and in his hometown. “I had always been interested in volunteering at a firehouse or with an EMS group,” says Komorowski. “When I realized I could start the training during my undergraduate program, it seemed like the perfect opportunity.”

Initially, medical school was on his radar, but he wasn’t sure it was the right path. “I was eager to work with patients and serve the community immediately rather than after several more years of school,” he notes. “So, I decided to take my EMS training to the next level by enrolling in a paramedic training course while working full-time as an EMT.” 

From 2018 to 2022, Komorowski worked as an EMT and later as a paramedic for a private ambulance company in Boston. In April 2020, he was among 500 EMTs and paramedics deployed by FEMA to support New York City’s overwhelmed hospital system during the COVID-19 pandemic. The crisis hit home—literally. On his third day in the city, his grandmother, who lived in Queens, passed away from what was initially described as a “flu-like illness” before widespread COVID-19 testing was available. “That made the pandemic very personal,” he says. “It put everything we were doing there into perspective.”

While both EMTs and paramedics provide life-saving care, their training and scope of practice differ significantly. EMTs complete about 170 hours of training over one to three months, equipping them to provide basic life support (BLS), including CPR, oxygen administration, newborn delivery, and administering a limited range of medications. In contrast, paramedics undergo 1,200 to 1,800 hours of training over six months to two years. After passing the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians Paramedic Exam, they are certified to deliver advanced life support (ALS), which includes intubation, intravenous therapy, mechanical ventilation management, EKG interpretation, and administering a broader range of medications.

 “Paramedic training is more involved than the EMT course, and while it prepares students to perform many more skills, it also prepares them to take on more responsibilities. A new paramedic may find that he/she is the only ALS provider responding to a call and must be able to take ownership of patient care and lead the team.”

Evan Komorowski (left), now a third-year medical student at USU, and his EMT partner
on the tarmac at John F. Kennedy Airport, New York City, in April 2020 after transferring
a COVID patient on a mechanical ventilator with a flight crew. 
(Photo credit: Evan Komorowski, USU)

Komorowski’s experience in EMS placed him in intense, high-stakes situations. “I responded to calls ranging from an incident where three people were shot to a call for an extremely ill patient on a home ventilator. I cared for complete strangers, but also for friends and coworkers and their families,” he says. “Once, I responded to and led the resuscitation of a friend’s father after he collapsed and went into cardiac arrest. Thankfully, he eventually made a full recovery after being discharged from the hospital.” 

As a field training officer, Komorowski also trained new EMTs and paramedics. “I really enjoyed helping train the next generation of first responders. In addition to developing their skills and confidence, it provided an opportunity to further my own education and growth.” 

His EMS background, which also had him teaching recertification classes and CPR, has been invaluable in medical school, particularly in patient communication and building trust. Occasionally, he visited hospitals to teach those courses.

“The first time I ever taught pediatric advanced life support on my own,” he exclaims, “there was a pediatric intensivist in the class. I definitely felt a little out of my depth. Over the years, I was able to teach courses for laypersons, as well as for medical professionals with years and years of experience beyond me.” 

Komorowski first considered medical school during his senior year of college. But when he came across an application essay prompt—“Why do you want to be a doctor?”—he hesitated.

“Well, I mulled it over and figured out that I didn’t want to be a physician right then. So, I found a job as a paramedic where I could still help people and be there for them in their moment of crisis, but on a different level. I always liked working with my hands, and it was a great way to use a lot of hands-on skills.” 

Years later, while in the hiring process for a firefighter-paramedic position, he reconsidered. Conversations with supervisors and military physicians—particularly those he worked alongside in New York—reignited his passion for medicine. “They had the attitude that whatever the challenge was, that they were going to rise to the occasion and overcome it. I really liked that. Interacting with military physicians in the field hospitals inspired me to eventually move toward a career in military medicine.”

In 2022, he enrolled at USU. “I knew I wanted to serve in the military,” he says. “I met a lot of people who are here to make a difference and to help each other. People talk about medical school environments being cutthroat and toxic, but that was never my experience at USU. Everyone is willing to stick their neck out for one another.” 

Returning to school after years in the field was an adjustment. “At first, it was difficult switching gears from being directly involved with patients all the time to sitting in a chair in the library,” he admits. “However, now that I’m back in the hospital, I get to see patients every day and potentially make a difference in their care. It motivates me and keeps me focused on the long-term goal. While it can sometimes be difficult, it’s also very rewarding.” 

As he looks ahead, he’s eager to focus on emergency medicine—the specialty that first drew him to healthcare. “Not everything that comes into the ER is exciting. But you’re the first point of contact for a lot of patients as they enter the system,” Komorowski says. “You’re the one who figures out exactly what’s going on and where to go from there.”

Komorowski credits his EMS background with giving him the mental toughness, teamwork skills, and work ethic that continue to serve him well in medical school. But, he acknowledges that there are times when his previous paramedic experience and training automatically kick in, and he feels the urge to revert to his old ways of thinking. “However, one of the great things about medical school is that it’s a humbling experience,” he says.

“I am reminded every day that there are plenty of people in the room much smarter than I am, and that I still have a long way to go and a lot to learn. Every day, I’m faced with new things to learn and new challenges to conquer.”