The Doctor's Rank

[tim0122]

I've only seen bits and pieces of Voyager (will be watching it soon in my franchise watch/rewatch). So, this might be answered in the show itself, but did the show ever give the Doctor a rank (and, yes, I know he's never given pips)? It does state he has the powers of the head medical officer (he can override the captain in health matters, he can sing operas about Vulcans being h*rny, etc.). But to what extent can he give orders outside sickbay? I assume (and this might be addressed in Prodigy or Academy, which I haven't seen) that when they returned home he was considered an artificial lifeform similar to Data and was given an official rank. But I'm curious where he fell during the body of the show.

 

[Oddish]

Since Starfleet considered the EMH to be a tool, a stopgap for when no "real" doctor was available, he was probably intended to have no authority at all.

With no doctor available for an extended period, the EMH was given the basic powers of the chief medical officer. This eould have included absolute judgment in medical matters, including the ability to relieve people on medical grounds. Of course, Janeway ignored him in "Year of Hell", but she'd have probably also ignored a flesh and blood doctor, in her crazed determination. Until the ECH protocol was established, he likely had no power to give orders outside that.

 

[Nerys Myk]

Since Starfleet considered the EMH to be a tool

He can be acerbic and condescending, but there is no call for that!

 

[Oddish]

Tool as in device, instrument, implement, or gadget. But you knew that already.

 

[Set Harth]

He can be acerbic and condescending, but there is no call for that!

and I wouldn't call him rank either, that's just unfair.

 

[Oddish]

How about Emergency Medical Hothead?

 

[Leviathan]

CMO and OMO: Chief Medical Officer, Only Medical Officer.

 

[Oddish]

So, CHOMO?

 

[Deks]

Since Starfleet considered the EMH to be a tool, a stopgap for when no "real" doctor was available, he was probably intended to have no authority at all.

With no doctor available for an extended period, the EMH was given the basic powers of the chief medical officer. This eould have included absolute judgment in medical matters, including the ability to relieve people on medical grounds. Of course, Janeway ignored him in "Year of Hell", but she'd have probably also ignored a flesh and blood doctor, in her crazed determination. Until the ECH protocol was established, he likely had no power to give orders outside that.

Actually, doctors DO have authority pertaining to medical matters.
Even if he doesn't have an official rank, as chief medical officer, or even if he was just a supplement, he could override standing orders on medical grounds (if its justified).

But otherwise he had no official rank as he was originally intended as a supplement to the biological chief medical officer (who died in the initial transit to the Delta Quadrant).

That said, he did get a lot more recognition, and eventual integration of ECH protocols which were useful in 'Workforce' - which provided him with actual command rank and associated duties.

To be fair, the Doctor was first of his kind in a way, so there was no initial precedent for his lack of rank.

 

[Tomalak]

To have a rank, he would need to be an officer and have undergone the relevant Academy training - we can assume medical staff have a different route to line offers. Bashir suggests they graduate as Lt j.g.

I guess Janeway could have given him a provisional rank if she felt it necessary. He had powers over medical matters, but we know this was limited in practise only as far as Janeway allowed it.

The ECH was a bit of fun - there's that bit in Workforce where Chakotay and Kim get back on the ship and the Doctor struggles to be subordinate to them, despite being, in his mind, better qualified to command.

 

[Detached Nacelle]

The pipless rank of crewman I guess, but his position as CMO grants him seniority as a senior staff member. Interestingly even by the 32nd century he still has no rank.

 

[C.E. Evans]

Position has sometimes beaten rank in Starfleet (such as Data in TNG and the TNG movies). As the designated chief medical officer, the Doctor was in charge of the ship's medical division by Janeway and needed a rank about as urgently as he needed a name.

 

[AntonyF]

He doesn't need a rank as he's a computer at the end of the day. Although can you imagine the Maquis having no rank and him having one? That'd be a lark.

 

[Tomalak]

Why do organic crew need ranks? They are just ugly bags of mostly water at the end of the day.

 

[AntonyF]

Why do organic crew need ranks? They are just ugly bags of mostly water at the end of the day.

Because the Enterprise D crew would forever be stuck in a causality loop if not.