McCoy's Medical Training

[Technobuilder]

Something that's always tickled at the back of my mind, but never been fully addressed is that I recall several instances in which Leonard H. McCoy was great at treating Humans (which supposedly was the majority of Starfleet in the TV days of TOS), but what about his touted experience as the be-all, end-all of Xenobiology. (He wasn't familiar with Klingon Biology in ST6 for example, but I guess that could be attributed to Phlox's scans being classified or the Divergence issues of there being two kinds of klingon... which I still don't fully understand. (Are there still two kinds or has interbreeding removed the two sides?)

Anyways...

I vaguely recall a story in which McCoy lacked knowledge of Alien anatomies and someone died with him vowing to one day "learn it all" eventually this culminates in him writing the 'Star Trek' Interspecies equivalent of Gray's Anatomy, but I can't remember the name of the story.

Anyone care to flesh out my knowledge gaps?

 

[Nerys Myk]

His knowedge of Vulcan physiology, anatomy and biology seemed limited. Even with him giving Spock physicals. Lucky he's a quick learner.

 

[21Spike65]

I don't know if this is story you're referring to, but I believe Ex Machina deals with the issue of McCoy's lack of interspecies medical knowledge. I don't remember anyone actually dying in that story because of it, but I believe it did put a patient's life in jeopardy.

 

[Nerys Myk]

I guess he didn't save the scans of Arne Darvin from "Trouble With Tribbles".

 

[Technobuilder]

I don't know if this is story you're referring to, but I believe Ex Machina deals with the issue of McCoy's lack of interspecies medical knowledge. I don't remember anyone actually dying in that story because of it, but I believe it did put a patient's life in jeopardy.

Okay, I think that was it. Thanks.

Explanation: I read easily enough, but I just don't seem to remember the subtle aspects of a book as well as I would if it were a visual medium. Just the way I'm wired I guess.

I still remember the time I was confused about a thread regarding the end of DS9's Unity (mostly because I'd forgotten everything about the parasites.)

Any other clues regarding Dr. McCoy's lack of Knowledge and when he started filling in the gaps?

 

[Christopher]

I vaguely recall a story in which McCoy lacked knowledge of Alien anatomies and someone died with him vowing to one day "learn it all" eventually this culminates in him writing the 'Star Trek' Interspecies equivalent of Gray's Anatomy, but I can't remember the name of the story.

As stated, that was in Ex Machina, although the patient didn't die. I put it in there to reconcile McCoy's evident lack of nonhuman anatomical knowledge in TOS with the assertion in Voyager that he had written a book called Comparative Alien Physiology.

 

[Trent Roman]

Of course, we don't know all that much about the comparisons McCoy was actually making...

"Chapter 1: Vulcans

Compared to humans, Vulcans are humourless, insufferable, self-satisfied, pointy-eared green-blooded bastards. Don't get too close to one, or he might shove his soul into you."

Fictitiously yours, Trent Roman

 

[foravalon]

Of course, we don't know all that much about the comparisons McCoy was actually making...

"Chapter 1: Vulcans

Compared to humans, Vulcans are humourless, insufferable, self-satisfied, pointy-eared green-blooded bastards. Don't get too close to one, or he might shove his soul into you."

Fictitiously yours, Trent Roman

Nice.

 

[William Leisner]

Of course, we don't know all that much about the comparisons McCoy was actually making...

"Chapter 1: Vulcans

Compared to humans, Vulcans are humourless, insufferable, self-satisfied, pointy-eared green-blooded bastards. Don't get too close to one, or he might shove his soul into you."

Fictitiously yours, Trent Roman

McCoy's Comparative Alien Physiology also greatly outsells the Encyclopedia Galactica Book of Medicine, in part because of large, friendly words, "Don't Panic: I'm a Doctor, Dammit," on the cover.

 

[TGTheodore]

As of age five (in my SNW VI story), being a doctor was the LAST thing McCoy wanted to be.

--Ted

 

[arch101]

Good thing they brought Dr. M'Benga along or Spock would have been a goner half way through season 2.

 

[The Grim Ghost]

His primary job was to care for the crew of the Enterprise. The vast majority of them were human, so of course that was his main area of focus.

He saved Spock's life more than once, he healed the Horta..those are just off the top of my head. M'Benga was an expert in Vulcan physiology, probably assigned to the ship because Spock was onboard.

I imagine that his experiences during the 5 year mission made him want to learn more about xenobiology and if we go by the books at a certain point he became an expert in it. As for the incident in ST6, why would he expect to ever have to treat a Klingon? The Feds were mortal enemies with them at the time.

 

[JD]

I haven't seen the "Devin in the Dark" in a while, but wasn't treating the Horta pretty much equivalent to cementing over a hole in a sidewalk?