I listened to a 99% Invisible episode on how EMS got started. Totally worth a listen

For a while (60s-70s) there was a stigma that early Paramedics couldn’t provide adequate care because they were not doctors and nurses though in reality they spent lots of time training in hospitals working with them.

You can even see this in tv shows like Emergency. Any time they have a medical situation they radio a hospital to get direct medical advice from a doctor. It also gives a (kinda) realistic reason to explain what they are doing to the viewing audience