Bashir's Rank at the Beginning of DS9

[Timo]

You're making a gross assumption.

It's about as gross as assuming that Kirk's rank in TOS was "Captain".

Btw, this page outright states Christine Chappel is a ncom too.

So perhaps you could go and correct the page? That's why it's constructed as a wiki.

Maybe he's referring to star date and not Anno Domini (or it's "CE" retcon )?

...Or perhaps he prefers the Omicron Theta calendar? But personally I'd like to do away with the idea of year classes altogether, considering that there is no set length for studies. Yeah, it might be interesting to hear which year Data received his Ensign pip - but not that interesting, as this would tell the listener nothing about when and with whom he took the classes. And Starfleet doesn't appear to believe in a schedule when it comes to promotions, so there'd be little to be learned from being told the number of years between that Ensign pip and the Lieutenant Commander ones.

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Bry_Sinclair]

You're making a gross assumption.

How is it an assumption? Her rank is displayed on her uniform.

As I said, Star Trek the Magazine actually set the record straight.

Having not read it, is there any online source that could be linked to for consultation?

 

[Ro_Laren]

By the way, I am watching the first season episode The Forsaken. During the episode, it is specifically pointed out that Bashir is "a first year officer."

 

[Timo]

...Only as far as we can trust Ambassador Taxco's judgement, though. And note that Bashir is about to object to what Taxco just said - indicating it's a big deal for him, and/or a gross error for Taxco to make, as the poor doctor wouldn't want to cross this fearsome opponent lightly.

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Ezri D]

I remember in the DS9 pilot that Dr. Bashir told Kira that he could have been stationed anywhere, but that he chose DS9 because he wanted to be on the frontier. I can’t remember exactly, but I thought that he said (or was strongly alluding to the fact) that he just graduated from the Academy / Starfleet Medical. Yet, his rank in the beginning of the series was a Junior Grade Lieutenant and not that of an Engsign.

As of let, I have never seen a doctor with the rank of Ensign.

 

[Timo]

Or of Captain... FWIW.

Timo Saloniemi

 

[TommyR01D]

After all, how does one get to be CMO right out of the Academy?

By goin' somewhere that no one else wants to be, like a rundown alien station at the ass end of the galaxy...

And by being the only medical officer.

Much like Neelix calls himself Chief Morale Officer on Voyager. I'd sure hate to be the unlucky crewman who has to actually report to him.

 

[Tiberius]

Third option...

It's a continuity error that the writers didn't catch. After all, how does one get to be CMO right out of the Academy? Even as smart as he was, he had no experience.

It's possible that Bashir had a period of his training when he was serving, and he was an ensign then. Then, once his training was completed, he was promoted to Lt JG, and given the job on DS9.

And it doesn't strike me as odd that such an inexperienced officer had the job of CMO, because remember, they weren't expecting DS9 to be very important. That only happened once they discovered the wormhole.

 

[Bry_Sinclair]

How did Elizabeth Lense get to be CMO of a Nebula-Class starship? Or Harry Kim Chief Ops Officer on Voyager?

Obviously if people are gifted, then CO's will take a chance on them and offer them a senior post where they can build up experience quickly.

 

[Timo]

How did Elizabeth Lense get to be CMO of a Nebula-Class starship?

There is no evidence that she did.

That is, we know that she requested service on the famed Lexington and that she got it, but nothing points to her becoming the Chief Medical Officer of that vessel. Instead, we hear that she got stuck doing menial stuff for years, probably as a junior doctor in the team, while Bashir who smartly chose a humbler assignment became the head of his (one-man) department from the very start.

Or Harry Kim Chief Ops Officer on Voyager?

Because everybody else died, apparently. Before the calamity of the Caretaker abduction, there is no indication that Harry would be the Chief - he's merely considered an Ops Officer, and probably would have answered to one of those yellowshirt Lieutenants if not for his or her untimely demise.

Also, as Ops is a distinct line of training, the surviving yellowshirt Lieutenants (such as Andrews or Chapman or Nicoletti or... Well, that's everybody we know of, excluding the Maquis) aren't Kim's superiors but appear to be Tuvok or Torres' underlings instead.

Timo Saloniemi