Where is Discovery's CMO?

[Tim Thomason]

The only way this makes some sense, and I hate to invent storyline but I kinda have to, is if Stamets had lied to Culber, telling him that he had been receiving medical care in some manner from another doctor, and that Culber best stay clear because of the ethical dilemma. Then Culber could ignore Stamets being a little tipsy, under the impression that it was a psychological toll that could be healed when the war is over and the constant jumps aren't necessary anymore. It was only when he did his own scan did he see that there was possibly irreperable damage being done to Stamets brain.

And Stamets would also lie to the CMO or somebody, or at least imply in some manner, that Culber had been keeping an eye on his vitals. And the only reason he went to Culber when Lorca ordered him to sickbay was in the hopes that there wasn't anything physically wrong, and if there was, maybe Culber would actually keep quiet due to their relationship. Culber, being a good guy, did not play along with that (not that Stamets would tell him to, it was probably a mild hope).

 

[Jackson_Roykirk]

I don’t really care what everyone says, as far as I’m concerned Dr. Culber is CMO and Lt. Stamets is Chief Engineer.

The show makes zero sense if this doesn’t apply.

We've seen that Stamets is in charge of the spore drive (he and his dead friend on the Glenn spent 12 years prior to this working on it), so that is some indication that he has at least SOME pull in engineering, but that doesn't mean he is in charge of the rest of the engineering duites on the ship.

As for Culber -- we have seen him do nothing that would indicate that he is the chief e̶n̶g̶i̶n̶e̶e̶r̶ [edit: medical officer].

So I'm not sure what would make "zero sense" if they were not the heads of their respective departments. They could both do exactly what we've seen them both do and not be department chiefs.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

As for Culber -- we have seen him do nothing that would indicate that he is the chief engineer.

Of course not...he's a doctor.

 

[Timo]

Sounds likely that Stamets could play the shipboard hierarchy to his advantage easily enough. He's already the designated onboard madman, with leeway granted by the skipper since time immemorial. If he gets to run Engineering without being an engineer, and has mysterious black-badged brutes to keep others from seeing what he does there, then hiding key bits of himself and his career doesn't take effort - making these bits public would.

On the other hand, if Stamets is such a secret asset, then assigning an in-the-know doctor to him and the other mushroomheads would also make sense - and Stamets going to see another doctor would raise eyebrows.

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Jackson_Roykirk]

Of course not...he's a doctor.

d'oh!

 

[The Wormhole]

As for Culber -- we have seen him do nothing that would indicate that he is the chief e̶n̶g̶i̶n̶e̶e̶r̶ [edit: medical officer].

So I'm not sure what would make "zero sense" if they were not the heads of their respective departments. They could both do exactly what we've seen them both do and not be department chiefs.

With Culber, it makes the medical department extremely top heavy. As I already indicated, assuming the whale guy isn't the CMO, than there's already three doctors, plus both Culber and whale guy are both ranked Lt. Commander, meaning the CMO is at least that, if not a full commander.

I get the writers wanted to get away from senior officers being the focus of the show, but with Culber they've made him the go-to guy for all medical matters and gave him the necessary rank to run the department. He's filling the same role narratively as the CMOs in the other shows to the point the other characters are talking about him as though he is the only doctor aboard. There doesn't seem to be any narrative sense for not making him the CMO.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

I have a theory as to who Discovery's CMO is:

Spoiler: my story idea

David McCoy - Leonard's father.

Played by Tommy Lee Jones, of course.

 

[Jackson_Roykirk]

Where's their CMO? He's in the jettisoned pod along with their Records Officer.

 

[Ovation]

Alright, alright. I’m here. Sorry it took so long but do you have ANY idea how long an Andorian tonsillectomy takes?

 

[bigglesworth]

Alright, alright. I’m here. Sorry it took so long but do you have ANY idea how long an Andorian tonsillectomy takes?

Less than 12 parsecs