What is M'Benga's rank?

[JonnyQuest037]

And this was his backstory according to The Making of Star Trek, put out by the people making the show while it was being made.

Yep, I'm aware. For me, creator intentions count for a lot.

 

[Nerys Myk]

McCoy is pretty much textbook "90 day wonder".

 

[Commishsleer]

Its a matter of money.

Would you go to university for 8 years and join up on the pay of a junior lieutenant ?

Or even be outranked by jokers like Bailey or Stiles?

 

[Longinus]

The various Star Trek series have always had a bit of an issue with the doctors and their rank and command privileges. McCoy thankfully never takes command, except in the cute (albeit somewhat ridiculous) "Doctor's Orders" book by Diane Duane, but on TNG you had the Descent episodes where Picard beamed the entire crew down for some reason and left Crusher in command, which made no sense but was supposed to be interesting. Bashir wasn't in the command structure of either DS9 of the Defiant. And the last two series (before DISC) avoided the problem altogether by making the doctor without rank due either to being an alien or, you know, a hologram.

I don't think this is an inconsistency, this has been explicitly explained. Crusher did take the command test and has the command qualifications, so she can act as a line officer if needed. This also explains how she's a captain in command of a ship of her own in the alternate future. McCoy most likely didn't have such qualifications. (I don't know about Bashir.)