Social media and firearms?

[DO_hopeful48]

Hey all, I had a question that has not really been discussed before. To give some background, shooting and collecting firearms is one of my biggest hobbies, and I post about it on social media quite frequently. Posts involve images and videos of me or my fiance and our friends at our local shooting ranges. Posts can also involve new firearm purchases, and tips/reminders about firearm safety. Would those on an admissions committee be politically biased to these posts or view them as inappropriate?

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[frosted2]

Hm. Just a fellow pre-med here.

While your hobby is definitely interesting and unique, there are an awful lot of people in medicine it seems that are looking for more stringent gun control. I don't know. I'm the type to err on the side of caution. If it were me, I'd deactivate social media during the application cycle.

 

[madiso30]

Recent trends on Twitter would suggest many physicians are opposed to guns. Just keep quiet about it until you get accepted honestly.

 

[Goro]

Hey all, I had a question that has not really been discussed before. To give some background, shooting and collecting firearms is one of my biggest hobbies, and I post about it on social media quite frequently. Posts involve images and videos of me or my fiance and our friends at our local shooting ranges. Posts can also involve new firearm purchases, and tips/reminders about firearm safety. Would those on an admissions committee be politically biased to these posts or view them as inappropriate?

I'd delete these from your SM accounts.

 

[DO_hopeful48]

I'd delete these from your SM accounts.

As always I appreciate the words of wisdom, but would those on an admissions committee really view these negatively? They are not irresponsible, and the point of the posts is to promote firearm responsibility among those in my age group

 

[HockeyGuy2772]

I'd delete these from your SM accounts.

So you have seen cases where an applicant has lost a seat for things he/she posts on social media? Im extremely inactive on SM but I'm just curious

 

[OneTwoThreeFour]

As always I appreciate the words of wisdom, but would those on an admissions committee really view these negatively? They are not irresponsible, and the point of the posts is to promote firearm responsibility among those in my age group

AdCom members are subject to their own biases as much as anyone else. I know many doctors who are actively anti-firearm and very few who are on the other side of the issue.

 

[frosted2]

I know for sure that the American Academy of Pediatrics is strongly against guns right now. I can't blame them. Of all the things in medicine, an accidental self-inflicted GSW involving a toddler or child has got to be at the top of the list for the worst things we see.

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

AdCom members are subject to their own biases as much as anyone else. I know many doctors who are actively anti-firearm and very few who are on the other side of the issue.

Very location dependent. Both where I'm from and where I am for school is the exact opposite.

I know for sure that the American Academy of Pediatrics is strongly against guns right now.

The NRA is right. Doctors need to stay in their lane when it comes to national firearm policy. They can advocate safe storage, handling, things that increase gun safety etc, but to advocate for specific political action involving national policy is simply stepping out of their lane.

an accidental self-inflicted GSW involving a toddler or child has got to be at the top of the list for the worst things we see

It is, however, it is also fairly rare.

OP it depends heavily on what part of the country you are from and what schools you are applying to. My school wouldn't even blink once, however I could see an adcom at, say, Western in CA using it as a ding against you for a dumb reason.

 

[RNthenDoc]

Only people who know I carry are my firearms dealer and my immediate family. In an ideal world, it stays that way unless I need to neutralize a threat.

I’ve been in bad situations before, and my safety and rights overrule other’s comfort, but I will keep my weapon a secret, out of sight, for their benefit and mine.

I would absolutely not have anything on social media that is polarizing at all, and I actively maintain political neutrality there. People can tell you that they won’t judge you for what you believe until they are blue in the face, but ask Goro what happens when an applicant walks in with a red trucker hat. Instant reject.

Similarly, there’s no way that I wouldn’t be judged if I were a BernieBro applying for a yeehaw surgical residency down south. Again, these folks will claim impartiality, but when we have adcoms on here referring to the president as Fuhrer(not saying he doesn’t earn the monicker, just making a point), I don’t think I trust them to truly not be biased.

 

[Goro]

So you have seen cases where an applicant has lost a seat for things he/she posts on social media? Im extremely inactive on SM but I'm just curious

Not related to hunting or gun enthusiasm. But I think it's best to be conservative in something like this.

There was an SDNer who had his acceptance rescinded from ACOM after posting some inflammatory material on Facebook.

 

[Bacchus]

Err on the side of caution. To be honest, if I were on your selection committee I would try to bridle my bias but it would very, very difficult in light of recent events or even my overall political leanings.

 

[deleted480308]

I don’t put anything on SM anymore with my name attached. Nothing.

There are too many who want to destroy anyone with different opinions

 

[deleted480308]

I know for sure that the American Academy of Pediatrics is strongly against guns right now. I can't blame them. Of all the things in medicine, an accidental self-inflicted GSW involving a toddler or child has got to be at the top of the list for the worst things we see.

And they are out of line.

It’s just the board getting political and hiding behind the white coats. That is not at all the opinion of all members

 

[Doc_Ock]

You don't need to delete them per se but have your account on absolute lockdown (only friends can see stuff, non-friends or friends-of-friends can't see jack)

 

[Kawi347]

You don't need to delete them per se but have your account on absolute lockdown (only friends can see stuff, non-friends or friends-of-friends can't see jack)

I even took it a step further and used only nicknames or middle names so that I'm hard to find. I don't believe I have anything bad, but better safe than sorry.

 

[Jyggaswoop]

The NRA is right. Doctors need to stay in their lane when it comes to national firearm policy. They can advocate safe storage, handling, things that increase gun safety etc, but to advocate for specific political action involving national policy is simply stepping out of their lane.

lol what makes a political opinion out of anybody's lane?? We vote on politicians because they advocate or believe in something we agree with or believe ourselves... sure there's more to gun laws than just treating patients with GSW, but if that's their political stance, they are not out of lane in advocating for gun laws from the view point of the damage it does to families of patients and the patient themselves.

 

[Goro]

Very location dependent. Both where I'm from and where I am for school is the exact opposite.
The NRA is right. Doctors need to stay in their lane when it comes to national firearm policy. They can advocate safe storage, handling, things that increase gun safety etc, but to advocate for specific political action involving national policy is simply stepping out of their lane.

lol what makes a political opinion out of anybody's lane?? We vote on politicians because they advocate or believe in something we agree with or believe ourselves... sure there's more to gun laws than just treating patients with GSW, but if that's their political stance, they are not out of lane in advocating for gun laws from the view point of the damage it does to families of patients and the patient themselves.

Let's stick to the excellent question posed by the OP, and not have a "yes guns" vs "no guns" debate, because otherwise the thread turn into a steaming pile of dumpster fire that will lead it being consigned to SDN's cesspool, otherwise known as the SPF.

 

[deleted480308]

lol what makes a political opinion out of anybody's lane?? We vote on politicians because they advocate or believe in something we agree with or believe ourselves... sure there's more to gun laws than just treating patients with GSW, but if that's their political stance, they are not out of lane in advocating for gun laws from the view point of the damage it does to families of patients and the patient themselves.

Docs should stick to medical treatments when wrapping themselves in the authority that comes with being a doctor....hiding their political, not medical, opinions inside their medical professional associations both pretends to have the support of a huge number of docs they don’t and I think damages the overall credibility of the profession

 

[Bacchus]

Let's stick to the excellent question posed by the OP, and not have a "yes guns" vs "no guns" debate, because otherwise the thread turn into a steaming pile of dumpster fire that will lead it being consigned to SDN's cesspool, otherwise known as the SPF.

This. Meanwhile, in Chicago 🙁

 

[Jyggaswoop]

Let's stick to the excellent question posed by the OP, and not have a "yes guns" vs "no guns" debate, because otherwise the thread turn into a steaming pile of dumpster fire that will lead it being consigned to SDN's cesspool, otherwise known as the SPF.

i am not starting that debate; i like guns or at least the technology behind them etc. i am merely saying that line of thinking is wrong because politics is dependent on our jobs, childhood, what we value important or not and then vote off of that...

.hiding their political, not medical, opinions inside their medical professional associations both pretends to have the support of a huge number of docs they don’t and I think damages the overall credibility of the profession

they are not hiding it; they are in fact saying on twitter that they are for gun control quite publicly. if you want to assume that these docs are using the respect they earned as docs to say "hey ima doc, i treat gun violence things all the time, and i am for gun control (and so are a lot of other docs) " to advance their political views, and this hurts the credibility, then i disagree. of course some docs are using their authority as a doc or respect they have earned to advance political views; i mean ben carson tried to do it, but that will not hurt the credibility of doctors as long as they are respectful, and are smart with their arguments.

the credibility of the profession will only be damaged, if certain doctors use their position to make a fool out of themselves or our profession.

 

[deleted480308]

i am not starting that debate; i like guns or at least the technology behind them etc. i am merely saying that line of thinking is wrong because politics is dependent on our jobs, childhood, what we value important or not and then vote off of that...



they are not hiding it; they are in fact saying on twitter that they are for gun control quite publicly. if you want to assume that these docs are using the respect they earned as docs to say "hey ima doc, i treat gun violence things all the time, and i am for gun control (and so are a lot of other docs) " to advance their political views, and this hurts the credibility, then i disagree. of course some docs are using their authority as a doc or respect they have earned to advance political views; i mean ben carson tried to do it, but that will not hurt the credibility of doctors as long as they are respectful, and are smart with their arguments.

the credibility of the profession will only be damaged, if certain doctors use their position to make a fool out of themselves or our profession.

To anyone who has both integrity and fire arms knowledge those associations do lose a ton of credibility

 

[Jyggaswoop]

To anyone who has both integrity and fire arms knowledge those associations do lose a ton of credibility

i think if you phrased this more as: to anyone who thinks people kill people, not guns kill people, then they will lose a ton of credibility... then it would make sense to why they might.

 

[allantois]

Yep CDC totally shouldn’t study gun issues as it’s definitely not a major public health issue. And why don’t they stay away from abortion, IVF, and other topics while at it

 

[AlbinoHawk DO]

Hey all, I had a question that has not really been discussed before. To give some background, shooting and collecting firearms is one of my biggest hobbies, and I post about it on social media quite frequently. Posts involve images and videos of me or my fiance and our friends at our local shooting ranges. Posts can also involve new firearm purchases, and tips/reminders about firearm safety. Would those on an admissions committee be politically biased to these posts or view them as inappropriate?

If you need to ask, it's not a good idea. That's usually the criteria

 

[NITRAS]

I’d just assume that any area of higher education is predominately left leaning.

Why risk it?

 

[deleted480308]

Yep CDC totally shouldn’t study gun issues as it’s definitely not a major public health issue. And why don’t they stay away from abortion, IVF, and other topics while at it

Well, two of those are medical procedures.

I’m all for studying which medical procedures best treat gun shot wounds

 

[WedgeDawg]

We’re in sticky territory here, so just a gentle reminder to try to stay as close as possible to the OP’s question when responding to this thread.

 

[DO_hopeful48]

I appreciate everyone’s viewpoints and advice, and have now made my page private. I did not intend for this post to become political, although all have had something thoughtful to share. I respect your political opinions of those on the other side of the firearms spectrum and respect those on my side.

 

[RNtoMD87]

Exercising our second amendment rights are looked down upon. I don't use social media for this reason. I used facebook to buy and sell guns, primarily machineguns and when they disallowed that I had no further use for it. I've noticed you find a lot of gun collectors in the surgical community, but some other specialties are more... progressive minded.


As others have said, if the risk outweighs the benefit I would hide it. When you're a doctor, flaunt it all you want. Goes for other things too. Homosexuality, political opinions, etc.

 

[RNtoMD87]

Very location dependent. Both where I'm from and where I am for school is the exact opposite.



The NRA is right. Doctors need to stay in their lane when it comes to national firearm policy. They can advocate safe storage, handling, things that increase gun safety etc, but to advocate for specific political action involving national policy is simply stepping out of their lane.



It is, however, it is also fairly rare.

OP it depends heavily on what part of the country you are from and what schools you are applying to. My school wouldn't even blink once, however I could see an adcom at, say, Western in CA using it as a ding against you for a dumb reason.

If I was a pediatrician, I would be against swimming pools if anything...

 

[ciestar]

If I was a pediatrician, I would be against swimming pools if anything...

Trampolines are pretty bad too

 

[NurWollen]

Not related to hunting or gun enthusiasm. But I think it's best to be conservative in something like this.

There was an SDNer who had his acceptance rescinded from ACOM after posting some inflammatory material on Facebook.

Remember, remember the rescindence of November

IIRC, he was posting racially abusive material directed at a specific individual on social media. So very different situation. But I agree, best to avoided sensitive subjects on social media. Always do the thing with the potential to offend the fewest people. Usually that means keeping quiet on political issues.

 

[Angus Avagadro]

As always I appreciate the words of wisdom, but would those on an admissions committee really view these negatively? They are not irresponsible, and the point of the posts is to promote firearm responsibility among those in my age group

Would they view these negatively? More often yes than no. Agree it is location dependent, but why bring controversy to your app? If asked, mention shooting as a hobby like golf. Social media can harm your app with doing little to enhance it.
Loose the social media or delete the posts. You can find your peer group in med school. There are more students like yourself than you think. Good luck and best wishes

 

[RNtoMD87]

Trampolines are pretty bad too

Yeah I would never buy my kids a trampoline, and would never own a pool.

But by that same token, I would have all of my firearms locked up, and most importantly, take my kids shooting and teach them to maintain firearms to alleviate curiosity.

Somehow abstinence only sex education will never work, but the answer to firearms is “never touch it!”

 

[puahate]

No one can ever stay on topic.

 

[H.E. Pennypacker]

As always I appreciate the words of wisdom, but would those on an admissions committee really view these negatively? They are not irresponsible, and the point of the posts is to promote firearm responsibility among those in my age group

Do yourself a favor and do some basic twitter searches. The NRA is going hard against the medical community. Not telling you what to do, but it’s the reality of the situation.

 

[RNtoMD87]

Do yourself a favor and do some basic twitter searches. The NRA is going hard against the medical community. Not telling you what to do, but it’s the reality of the situation.

The NRA also isn’t as pro gun as people think. If it werent for them the machine gun registry wouldn’t be closed and the NFA of 1934 would not exist. Makes things much more expensive for me.

They pretty much support the second amendment for: Hunting, and carjackers. That's where their concern ends.

 

[RNthenDoc]

The NRA also isn’t as pro gun as people think. If it werent for them the machine gun registry wouldn’t be closed and the NFA of 1934 would not exist. Makes things much more expensive for me.

They pretty much support the second amendment for: Hunting, and carjackers. That's where their concern ends.

>Stealth brag about collection of automatics detected

 

[deleted480308]

Do yourself a favor and do some basic twitter searches. The NRA is going hard against the medical community. Not telling you what to do, but it’s the reality of the situation.

NRA is going hard against medical societies calling for gun control, and they should go hard against that

 

[RNtoMD87]

NRA is going hard against medical societies calling for gun control, and they should go hard against that

GoA and NAGR hold a much better line against those types though, if only they get the lobbying power.

And RNthenDoc, it's more saltiness. Paying over 6,000$ in tax stamps just to exercise my rights.