Boston LTC for medical resident?

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Dear Forum Members,


Thanks to you all for running one of the most informative sites regarding firearms in New England. I've learned a tremendous amount from previous posts on this board and am hoping you might have some advice for me.


I'm graduating medical school this spring, and will hopefully be beginning my residency in Boston in June. I have been shooting all of my life, but do not have a current MA LTC. I'm looking to apply for an unrestricted LTC when I move to Boston. Previous posts have indicated that physicians are among the "chosen few" BPD deems worthy of carrying firearms, but as a very junior MD some posts have implied I would have trouble. By way of background, I was a long-time EMT, have NRA pistol and rifle certifications, non-resident LTC in other states, and have attended 3 advanced shooting courses with nationally-regarded firearms instructors. My work will involve late and unusual hours in a specialty where I will routinely be working with intoxicated and violent patients.


1) Do I have a chance of being issued an unrestricted license?

2) Is there anything I could write in a "cause" letter that might cause BPD to look more favorably on my application?

3) Can I apply before my medical school graduation, or should I wait until I actually have a MA medical license before submitting my application?



Thanks for all of your help! I look forward to doing my best to treat the people of Boston.



Dan
 
Welcome Doc! Get your paperwork ready to go in advance and submit it when you get settled in June. I'd say you have a good chance of getting an unrestricted. You might also consider living in one of the outer burbs that are GREEN.

ETA: I know a LOT of Drs that have unresticted LTCs from Newton and Brookline.
 
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If you have a prescription book Boston will issue an unrestricted LTC. Medical Doctors are one of the "special" classes of people Boston will issue unrestricted licenses to.
 
Above all else, do not let anyone at which ever hospital you end up at know that you are carrying. The hospitals in Boston are overwhelmingly anti 2A. Also, if you are going to be at Boston Medical Center, be aware that part of the East Newton campus is attached to the BU School of Medicine and state law prohibits carrying on any college campus absent express written approval of the administration. Which you won't get.

BTW, it sounds like EM is going to be your specialty.
 
when i was a resident I was issued an LTC without question. At the time i lived in Eastie. The licensing agent's exact words were " You are a doctor, you need to carry." Just pass the Moon Island test; which is extremely simple. 5.11 tactical makes a hip bag similar to a fanny pack great for small semis and revos that works great with scrubs
 
Previous posts have indicated that physicians are among the "chosen few" BPD deems worthy of carrying firearms, but as a very junior MD some posts have implied I would have trouble.
Try to brush right over the "junior" part and concentrate on the MD part.
 
Shouldn't be a problem. One of my Moon Island training students is an MD working in an ER and had no problems receiving an unrestricted LTC from Boston.

Having to leave/arrive at odd, late hours, especially where street people or druggies hang out is fairly dangerous and easy justification.

Welcome to the forum Doc!
 
Above all else, do not let anyone at which ever hospital you end up at know that you are carrying. The hospitals in Boston are overwhelmingly anti 2A. Also, if you are going to be at Boston Medical Center, be aware that part of the East Newton campus is attached to the BU School of Medicine and state law prohibits carrying on any college campus absent express written approval of the administration. Which you won't get.

BTW, it sounds like EM is going to be your specialty.

As a matter of practicality, I'm going to expand on one point. It's not only a Boston thing, but a more generalized consideration that hospitals/hospital administration oppose firearms/ weapons.
 
Having to leave/arrive at odd, late hours, especially where street people or druggies hang out is fairly dangerous and easy justification.
As long as they don't ask "Does you employer allow you to carry a gun in the hospital or leave on in your car when parked on hospital property?".
It's not only a Boston thing, but a more generalized consideration that hospitals/hospital administration oppose firearms/ weapons.
The only signs I have seen in TX that fully comply with that state's binding signage law were on the entrance door to a hospital.
 
As long as they don't ask "Does you employer allow you to carry a gun in the hospital or leave on in your car when parked on hospital property?".
The only signs I have seen in TX that fully comply with that state's binding signage law were on the entrance door to a hospital.

Somehow I don't think they care about that in the Boston area. And lots of staff in the Boston medical area park on the street (13 hr meters) as I do when I have to go in there. Many of the garages there actually state that the parking is for patients/visitors and not staff.
 
Many of the garages there actually state that the parking is for patients/visitors and not staff.
The caste system reigns. It is typical for "staff" (RNs and others) to either be banned from patient parking, or charged full price. Attending MDs, however, are another story - and often get free parking the patient garage at no charge as part of their deal.
 
The caste system reigns. It is typical for "staff" (RNs and others) to either be banned from patient parking, or charged full price. Attending MDs, however, are another story - and often get free parking the patient garage at no charge as part of their deal.

I remember seeing such signage (no staff parking) posted at a garage near DFCI and BWH. I also remember cycling thru there and finding not one empty space before driving out and looking elsewhere.
 
Some staff at Longwood Medical Area facilities have parking at the Crosstown Center Garage at Melnea Cass and Northampton. They are then shuttled over to the hospitals at LMA.

Attending physicians are the King of the Mountain at teaching hospitals and even more so at the few non teaching community hospitals. They get a lot of perks that come with the position.

Parking on the street at any of the big Boston hospitals is very much hit or miss. Mostly miss from what I've seen.

The only signs I have seen in TX that fully comply with that state's binding signage law were on the entrance door to a hospital.

I've spent next to no time at TX hospitals, but I've seen lots of 30:06 & 30:07 compliant signs in other places over my visits. Ironically, since the open carry law passed, there has been a slight uptick in 30:06 signs as well. Still, they aren't all that common.

As a matter of practicality, I'm going to expand on one point. It's not only a Boston thing, but a more generalized consideration that hospitals/hospital administration oppose firearms/ weapons.

True. I was just limiting my comments to Boston hospitals since that's where he'll be doing his residency.

The only MA hospital where I ever noticed an actual sign was the old St. Luke's Emergency Department. That was 20+ years ago, before they did the remodeling.

As long as the OP is circumspect about firearms and doesn't carry if he has to visit the medical school, he'll be fine.
 
I thought I saw a (non binding) no guns sign at the entrance to the ER area of MGH when I was last in there (probably 5 yrs ago).
 
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