A. Chief Medical Officer (CMO)
B. Assistant Chief Medical Officer (ACMO)
C. Head Nurse
D. Other Medical Positions
III. Sickbay
I. Overview
The Medical staff of a starship is responsible for maintaining the physical health and well-being of the crew. This means a lot more than healing injured crewmembers. To ensure that the crew does not get sick or injured to begin with, they monitor the health of all crewmen with regular exams.
The medical staff is usually commensurate with the ship's overall crew complement (usually from 2%-3% of the ship's complement, with a minimum of 4-5 personnel). In addition, specialized medical personnel may be temporarily or permanently assigned when the ship's size or mission dictates.
The Department head, the Chief Medical Officer, coordinated his staff of trained personnel in medical procedures. They use all kinds of equipment that may look strange, but in the hands of a trained professional however they become vital tools for saving lives. Starfleet ensures that all of its medical personnel are trained in the use of this equipment ensuring that they can diagnose and provide appropriate care to all of their patients in an efficient manner, minimalising time spent in diagnosis and recuperation.
The Medical Department is responsible for all medical research conducted on the ship. Mostly they maintain a number of laboratories on the ship where they can develop new medicins against unknown diseases and undertake research in xenobiology and xenology.
III. Positions
A. Chief Medical Officer (CMO)
The Chief Medical Officer is the ship's senior medical officer. As such, Starfleet Command will usually assign a CMO who possesses medical expertise in the predominant lifeform of the ship in question, although this is not always possible.
The CMO oversees the operation of the entire medical department and his staff may range from one or two assistants on smaller starships to as many as a dozen or more doctors and nurses on larger classes. CMOs are responsible for conducting examinations of all crewmembers assigned to a vessel on a yearly basis.
The CMO has to be a qualified surgeon and posses basic training in emergency first aid for all crew member assigned, regardless of race. n addition, as the seniormost medical authority on a vessel, all field-related missions will require consultation with the CMO. He can be called upon to coordinate all activities that relate to the physical health of the crew. Most medical departments can, as a minimum, render emergency aid to a member of any known race in distress and keep that individual alive until more intensive medical care can be provided, such as a nearby starbase or other facility.
The Chief Medical Officer always has an office within the medical section, although on smaller classes the office might be shared with other individuals or serve added functions. If necessary, the Chief Medical Officer can remove anyone from duty, even the Commanding Officer.
B. Assistant Chief Medical Officer (ACMO)
The Assistant Medical Officer (ACMO) has to aid the Medical Officer in the execution of his/her duties. The Assistant Medical Officer is supposed to assume the role of the Chief Medical Officer when the need arises or if the Chief Medical Officer is unable to perform his/her duty adequately. He/She is also the Second most qualified Medical Officer on the ship and instructs all Medical personnel.
C. Head Nurse (HN)
The Head Nurse oversees all the Nurses currently aboard, ensuring they are assigned to task and working as required in their area. Additionally the Head nurse performs the normal duties of the nurse, assisting the Medical Officers in sickbay.
D. Other Medical Positions
Medical Officer (MO)
Under the instruction of the Chief Medical Officer and his Assistant a Medical Officer can undertake all Medical work aboard a starship: examining the crew, administering medical care and performing medical procedures.
Nurse
Nurses are trained in basic medical care, and are capable of dealing with less serious medical cases. In more serious matters the nurse assist the medical officer in the examination and administration of medical care, be this injecting required drugs, or simply assuring the injured party that they will be ok. The Nurses also maintain the medical wards, overseeing the patients and ensuring they are receiving medication and care as instructed by the Medical Officers.
Xenobiologist (XBO)
The 24th Century equivalent of a veternarian, Xenobiologists specialize in animal life forms. In some cases, they are responsible for the care of such creatures, in others, they must protect the crew from injuries or medical threats presented by such animals.
Xenologist (XGO)
Xenologists specialize in the medical care of alien humanoids. They have a broad, general knowledge of the biology of many races. They assist the vessel's CMO when their expertise is needed and can serve as a normal Medical Officer.
III. Sickbay
The centre of all medical action on a starship is Sickbay:
