McCoy's Medical staff
- Thread starter Shatinator
- Start date
Sounds likely. The ship would always have any number of "bottlenecks" when it comes to survival: the two people qualified to tend to the dilithium focus might die at any time, the only person who really understands the computer might lose his memory at a critical hour, the skipper might be eaten while being the only one aware of the secret orders that decide the fate of the ship... It just wouldn't be practical to have personal casualty replacements for each key crew member. Better to have people who each can take over part of the duties of the deceased or otherwise unavailable, and people who can provide partial assistance during rush hours.
Timo Saloniemi
You forget Dr Selar (Suzie Plakson)! She was in one episode and paged or referenced in several others.
Maybe "D'octor" is her Vulcan first name?
http://memory-alpha.org/en/wiki/Selar
The Background Information section on that article says that Tracy Torme wanted to develop a relationship between Worf and Selar.
I honestly can't imagine Worf in a relationship with a Vulcan. But then again, I couldn't see him in one with Troi either.
I was sorry that Selar didn't come back but pleased they didn't do the Worf thing. That's just wrong.
I assume that the ship needs 3 x key personel for each important post - one for each duty shift. When General Quarters sounds even those crew who are not on duty go to their relevant positions - organising emergency repair, damage control teams, and medical emergency teams at key areas on the ship. Medical teams would include people from other disciplines such as ops who had first aid training.
I assume that the ship needs 3 x key personel for each important post - one for each duty shift. When General Quarters sounds even those crew who are not on duty go to their relevant positions - organising emergency repair, damage control teams, and medical emergency teams at key areas on the ship. Medical teams would include people from other disciplines such as ops who had first aid training.
I haven't seen it mentioned here, but McCoy's staff includes a lab as well, and who knows just how many people are in it? I remember one line, something like "Get this serum to the lab, and tell them to start making more." Not "him" or "her" but "them" so at least two people.
From "The Naked Time." Of course, those people would be medical lab technicians, although it's possible they could also be qualified nurses or paramedics.
More likely chemists and biologists. Although Chapel was a biologist (possibly even a phd) as well as a nurse, the same is unlikely to be true in reverse.
The deck Plans for the 1701-A list the typical medical staff as:
1 Chief Surgeon
2 surgeons
1 Pathologist
1 Psychiatrist
1 dentist
1 pharmacist
12 nurses
While not official, that makes potentially 5 medical doctors for a crew of 500, plus (as has been noted) nurses and medics.
Sounds reasonable to me.
1 Chief Surgeon
2 surgeons
1 Pathologist
1 Psychiatrist
1 dentist
1 pharmacist
12 nurses
While not official, that makes potentially 5 medical doctors for a crew of 500, plus (as has been noted) nurses and medics.
Sounds reasonable to me.
The Background Information section on that article says that Tracy Torme wanted to develop a relationship between Worf and Selar.
Yep! I was fortunate enough to be at the Wellington, New Zealand, convention where he announced this, not long after he left the series. In fact, I believe it was responding to my question in a Q&A session.
Torme's intention was, after seeing the great job Suzie Plakson did as Selar, to seed episodes with comments to suggest that Worf had a budding romance with another crewmember. After several humorous reveals, including requiring Worf to get patched up in sickbay, it would be revealed that Selar was the partner.
The studio didn't like the idea of a Vulcan and Klingon together, and nixed Torme's plans, but they loved the idea of Michael Dorn and Suzie Plakson playing off one another! And thus, K'Ehylehr was born.
Groovy! Still, all too often in Trek, female characters' principle purpose is to be a love interest for one of the men. Selar had plenty of character potential without being a 'girlfriend' so why did we never see her again? It is quite frustrating that so many Trek writers are that blinkered. At least we got Ro! Seven was great, but the original concept was male and might have remained so if Jennifer Lien hadn't been written out. It's not just Trek though. Catherine Sakai in B5 vanished without explanation because her boyfriend was no longer on the scene.
Hey, don't accuse Torme of being blinkered. He was one of the best things about Season 1/2, and hit many brick walls attempting to get new things happening. It was Torme's intention that, while the "who's Worf dating?" arc was going on, that Selar get some character development as well, so that when the big reveal was made we'd already know her quite well.
Dr Selar wasn't seen again in TNG because Plakson's K'Ehleyr was pretty indelible in her two appearances. Also, as Suzie Plakson explained at a convention once, it was extremely tricky filming her as Selar. Watch "The Schizoid Man" very carefully; you never see Selar from behind. That's because Plakson's long red tresses had to be wound up into a huge bun, and attempted to be hidden under the Vulcan wig. But, in fact, the bun protruded out the back of Selar's head.
Lol - first season Troi must remain old bun-head - no pretenders thank you! If I can't blame Torme then can I blame the anonymous suits who blocked some of his ideas?
Still, I can blame Torme for thinking that pairing a vulcan and a klingon was ever a good idea but then I'm rather disparaging of Trek's love of inter-species breeding. In the sixties they were able to use Spock as an allegory and it was enjoyable. I can see logic in Saavik since both species were once the same race. But once we start breeding cardassians, bajorans, trill, klingons, romulans, and lord knows what else, I start to cry foul. Sure there are people who have sex with their motor cars so I can buy that a ferengi can fancy a betazoid but I really don't want to see a half human half volkswagen at the helm. Can we have a bit of genetic reality once in a while please and lets make the allegories a bit more intelligent!
There is a canon reference that indicates the medical staff on Enterprise is larger than shown. In Arena, Kirk orders a medical landing party of 30 to beam down to Cestus III to search for survivors while they pursued the Gorn ship. At least some of those folks must've been doctors. Therefore, McCoy's staff consists of more than just himself, Chapel, and M'Benga.
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In the high definition screencaps of the TMP rec deck scene, I've noted 10 medical staff, including three officers (McCoy, Chapel, and one other) and two petty officers. Worene also looks like she has a green badge, although I admit, I always thought she was ops.
It is possible that some of the colours got messed up in the high definition process. I admit I struggle to tell the red engineering and orange science apart. I suppose they must have cured colour blindness in the 23rd century!
It is possible that some of the colours got messed up in the high definition process. I admit I struggle to tell the red engineering and orange science apart. I suppose they must have cured colour blindness in the 23rd century!
The "USS Enterprise Officer's Manual" (January 1980) attempts to anticipate ST:TMP and lists McCoy, Chapel (now an MD), Harrison (a pathologist, based on his blue shirt in TOS?), M'Benga and Sanchez (both MDs).
I guess my point is that we have a spoken, canon reference indicating at least a partial number for the medical staff on Enterprise. We knew McCoy couldn't be the only M.D., after all, and that it couldn't just be him, Chapel, M'Benga, and the assorted nurse and orderly we'd seen throughout the series.
Just watched The Schizoid Man last night with Dr. Selar's debut, though it was annoying that they also referred to her as Lieutenant. No other med staffer gets called by their rank.
And the impression I got for Selar's introduction was so that Pulaski wouldn't be on Gravesworld and wouldn't immediately ruin the plot by easily realizing what had happened to Data.
Too bad she couldn't come back, there was an absolute dearth of Vulcan's on TNG (and the big ones we got were just repeats!)
As for the main topic, yeah, this is just one of those things where you *have* to use fanon to fill in the blanks, otherwise the series just falls apart.
And the impression I got for Selar's introduction was so that Pulaski wouldn't be on Gravesworld and wouldn't immediately ruin the plot by easily realizing what had happened to Data.
Too bad she couldn't come back, there was an absolute dearth of Vulcan's on TNG (and the big ones we got were just repeats!)
As for the main topic, yeah, this is just one of those things where you *have* to use fanon to fill in the blanks, otherwise the series just falls apart.
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