posted
First off, McCoy wore the rank of a full commander from TMP on, and, if I remember correctly, the glass outside his office in Sickbay in TWOK had the same rank on it as well.
As for how staff officers get their educations and commissions, it all depends on the curricula being taught at the Academy. You might be able to get a basic medical or science degree at the academy, but if you're going to specialize in something like Ferengi earlobe fungal infections or infinite improbability drives, you'll need to go elsewhere for that. That leads you down the ROTC route, although how that works in whatever passes for the Federation economy is anybody's guess.
In regards to your rank on commissioning, that depends on your level of experience. I vaguely remember something from my Air Force days that, theoretically at least, they could commission a reserve officer with a vital specialty as a lt. col. or a colonel (I'm damned if I can remember which one) if the need was great and his or her experience was high enough. Look at Henry Blake on the tv version of M*A*S*H; his age and years of medical practice earned him lt. col., whereas B.J. (fresh out of residency) was a captain.
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Shik
Starship database: completed; History of Starfleet: done; website: probably never
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posted
quote:Originally posted by Timo: But the precedent of Pulaski would seem to indicate that Lt.Cmdr is not a ceiling for "staff officers" of the Trek variety. McCoy's later Admiral rank could thus quite well be staff.
Quite right. Phillipa Louvois was a captain & she was a lawyer. And to take from another Paramount show, look at "JAG."
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