I am happy to read stories even if another book did something else with the ships or characters. What is more important to me is that there is a good story and interesting characters.
It's not like you don't have resources on a Starship. You've got a full medical staff, a modern sickbay, a computer with the knowledge of the Federation, a holodeck that can recreate any necessary training scenario including lectures from the galaxy's most renown doctors and an EMH, the earliest version of which was programmed with the knowledge of 47 individual medical officers. Somehow, I don't think it's like becoming a doctor by mail.
While doing her MD 'by the way' can be considered unlikely in general, she could have been in training for decades. One of the parallel timelines in TNG "Parallels" showed her as CMO. Also, Nurse Chapel became a doctor and was undergoing her training during the late 5YM according to the novels (not sure, either That Which Divides, Allegiance in Exile or Shocks of Adversity).
^Well, Chapel gave up a career in bioresearch and became a Starfleet nurse so that she could search for Roger Korby. I suppose it's possible Ogawa could've similarly put MD training on hold to become a nurse, but that would be kind of odd to happen twice. The thing is, there's a tendency in our society to see nurses as just subordinate doctors, as if doctor is the next step up from nurse, but that's a myth. Doctors and nurses are parallel and complementary professions with different demands. It's not unheard of for nurses to become doctors, but it's not an automatic step, and it's a lateral career move, not a promotion.
^ Too true, my godfather is a nurse, and in the UK there is little crossover. Complimentary professions is an excellent way of putting it, Chris
^ Bear in mind I was aware of that issue, but was given a brief. I'd actually suggested Pulaski for the Challenger's CMO, as I figured she'd be Scotty's kind of doctor...
Pulaski would have been a great choice. I always disliked her - it would have 'engaged' me in a more antagonistic way...
When I was reading TET, I was trying to reconcile it with what I remembered of Janeway's entry in Gateways: What Lay Beyond.
Yeah, the holodeck alone should solve most of the problems. I would think the Dominion War would make training-via-holodeck a priority.
^Janeway also visited the Q Continuum in "Death Wish" and "The Q and the Gray" on TV. So what's the issue there?
I'm just mentioning a similarity. There must be something wrong with this forum if I just whisper something in passing and people's nitpicky tendencies rear their heads.
How is it nitpicking? Noddy asked how The Eternal Tide contradicted What Lay Beyond, and you answered that Janeway visited the Q Continuum in WLB. But I don't remember how that contradicts TET. I was simply asking you to clarify what that contradiction was. I'm confused and I'm seeking a fuller explanation, if you wouldn't mind, please.