Should I get Masters degree and other questions?

[Ricegrad05]

I'm an officer in the Navy with 3.5 years left of active duty and am planning on entering med school in '10 or '11.
(1) I need four more classes to finish a Masters in Mechanical Engineering. Should I finish the degree? Or, should I focus more on becoming an EMT or volunteering in an ER?
(2) Also, what other options are there for gaining practical/clinical experience in medicine to make sure I want to be a doctor and to improve med school apps?
(3) Also, what are my chances for getting into med schools? I graduated with a BS in Mechanical Engineering, 3.92 GPA. I still need to take some required pre-med classes (Bio, Orgo) and take the MCAT. Any recommendations for strengthening my app?

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[Pemberley]

I'm an officer in the Navy with 3.5 years left of active duty and am planning on entering med school in '10 or '11.
(1) I need four more classes to finish a Masters in Mechanical Engineering. Should I finish the degree? Or, should I focus more on becoming an EMT or volunteering in an ER?

Tough to say without knowing more details of your timeline. There are other volunteer opportunities in hospitals besides the ER, by the way... I rock babies in the NICU, which is fantastic.

(2) Also, what other options are there for gaining practical/clinical experience in medicine to make sure I want to be a doctor and to improve med school apps?

I found great opportunities on base while I was still in. The doctor you shadow can get a line of BS to fill up his next performance report. I thought shadowing was a great way to be sure I knew what I was getting into, and to get an early look at some of the career fields I might be interested in (I shadowed a pathologist on base -- once a week, took a late lunch and sat in his office -- and a pediatric infectious disease specialist after I got out and moved to Boston.) It also provided me with good things to mention during my interviews in response to the "why medicine" question.

(3) Also, what are my chances for getting into med schools? I graduated with a BS in Mechanical Engineering, 3.92 GPA. I still need to take some required pre-med classes (Bio, Orgo) and take the MCAT. Any recommendations for strengthening my app?

Wow, anybody that knows anything about Rice knows you're off to a good start. Make a good steady plan and stick with it -- you'll be fine.

 

[Haemulon]

With only four more classes left, i'd suggest to finish that thing so your time so far has not been wasted. Plus, it may very well help you in the future.

 

[IgnisDU]

I would totally go for finishing that degree, it shows completion and then in your essays you can talk about ways to incorporate it into medicine!