Medical

Just like in real life, there are numerous jobs within the medical field that you can do in Starfleet. The duties of these are vast and encompass everything from ward clerks to surgeons.

At Starfleet Academy, training for medical roles starts early. If you joined the Academy with the intention of becoming a doctor then you start this from first year - the same goes for something like nursing or paramedic science. There is still hope for people who decided in third year that they want to specialize into Medical; anything that doesn't take as long as a full four-year degree only requires the last two. Some examples of medical roles that support this are technician or ward clerk. If someone decided that they wanted to become a doctor but was already halfway through Starfleet Academy, then they would need to complete that training by staying at SFA for longer. 

The length of time that it takes to train for your job is different, and some jobs require a lot of further study. If any further study is required, it is done after graduating from Starfleet Academy, and is conducted while posted to a ship or starbase. Check the progression diagrams at the bottom, as any extra training will need to be in your bio!

Example Positions

Counsellor

Counsellors help people through emotional, psychological, or relationship issues. They can use different types of counselling, such as talk therapy or cognitive behavioural therapy, to help a patient work through their problems. This can be through understanding their emotions, developing coping strategies, and helping them explore choices and form decisions. They can help with specific issues, such as anxiety, depression, bereavement, trauma, and relationship difficulties.

Decontamination Technician

These officers, also known as sterile services technicians, ensure that medical devices are properly sterilised between clinical procedures. All equipment that is used again has to be properly cleaned, disinfected, and fully sterilised before being used again to prevent healthcare-acquired infections. They deal with equipment used in all types of procedures, and are trained in how to correctly use personal protective equipment for dealing with hazards.

Dentist

Dentists work with patients and communities to prevent and treat dental and oral disease, correct dental irregularities, and treat dental injuries. They conduct check-ups, perform cleanings, fill cavities, and can do restorative work such as dental implants. Surgical procedures done by dentists can include extracting teeth and performing root canal. Like doctors, they do six years of study at Starfleet Academy.

Doctor 

Doctors are highly trained medical professionals who deal with injury and illness. They provide healthcare, diagnose conditions, create treatment plans, prescribe medication, and offer advice. They specialise into a specific field of work so at the end of their training they truly are experts in their field. Specialisations can be on specific patient groups (such as paediatrics), diseases (such as cancer,) or methods (such as radiology). 

Nurse

Nurses are healthcare professionals who provide compassionate and patient-centred care. Their work comprises a blend of clinical application and care. There are numerous different types of nursing: some go into paediatrics and work with children, others work with specific diseases, and some train to work with surgeons during major operations. They administer medication and provide care as prescribed by a doctor. 

Porter

Porters are responsible for transporting anything from people to equipment. This can be using equipment such as wheelchairs, or in cases when a patient is difficult to move, they can co-ordinate with Operations to have them beamed to a different location. What they are in charge of moving can include patients, equipment, blood sample, linens, parcels, waste, and trolleys when meals are served.

Psychologist 

Psychologists are mental health professionals who have done more study than counsellors, and usually work in a specific field of psychology. For example, they may go into clinical, forensic, or social psychology. They work to evaluate and treat mental health using psychotherapy, psychological evaluations, and testing. Note that they cannot prescribe medication: the field of medicine psychiatry is required for this, whereas psychologists focus on the study of the mind, emotions, and behaviour. 

Surgeon

Surgeons are doctors with advanced training which allows them to perform operations. They use specific tools and technologies to fix issues inside the body, be this an injury or illness. They are responsible for assessing conditions and reaching diagnoses, identifying the type of surgical or nonsurgical treatment required, performing any required operations, leading other healthcare professionals in that operation, and managing postoperative care. Like doctors, they train into a specific field. 

Roleplaying a Medical Character

Roleplaying in Medical might seem daunting but there are lots of tools to help! The very first thing that you should be aware of is basic first aid: every Starfleet officer has been taught it, so if your Medical character can't follow this then there's something far wrong! Know your basics: things like the primary survey, how to control bleeding, and what not to do (such as move a patient with a spinal injury). 

When it comes to the treatment of specific things, Google is your friend. If a character has a penetrating trauma such as a stab wound, you can look up ‘how is penetrating trauma treated’ and see how it's done in real life. Websites such as the National Institutes of Health which host academic medical articles are very useful. 

Additionally, medicine is far more advanced by our point in time. Whether it works or not is largely up to plot - in one episode someone will die of a stab wound, but someone else will recover from an injury far worse. Memory Alpha has detailed lists of Drugs and Treatments, Medical Devices, and Medical Procedures. All of the above can be used. Common things that you'll hear are biobeds, medical tricorders, hyposprays, and dermal regenerators. There are many more out there that you can use too! Practically any of these can be used within the roleplay and in combination with one another to treat an illness or injury. If in doubt, find something that sounds appropriate and techno-babble your way through. 

You can use medical dictionaries to bolster your vocabulary, and you can also brush up on abbreviations. (If a clinician ever tells you that a patient is going for a ‘cabbage’ they don't mean the vegetable; it's a CABG, short for Coronary Artery Bypass Graft.) If you want to get in-depth with your roleplay you can use things like the NEWS2 chart to come up with patients' observations to indicate whether they're improving or deteriorating. You can also use the Glasgow Coma Scale in your roleplay, and in the event of mass trauma, you can even use Major Incident Triage Tools.

Sometimes roleplaying Medical isn't all emergency scenarios. Sometimes it's just time to run a physical, and don't worry - we've got a guide for that too! If you're ever in doubt then don't be afraid to ask other roleplayers. They can always give you advice and point you in the right direction!

Running a Physical 

Before starting, ask the patient their name so you can find their file, and invite them to sit on one of the free biobeds. The questions are as follows:

1. Have you travelled outside of Federation space recently?

2. Have you had any recent illnesses, injuries, or treatments that we should be aware of that might not be on your file?

3. Do you have any ongoing conditions we should be aware of that might not be on your file?

4. Are there any new signs or symptoms that you are concerned about that you would like to bring up while you’re here?

5. Rate your diet

6. Rate your exercise

7. Rate the level of sleep you get

8. Are you aware of available mental health support on the ship/station?

To finish the physical, check their readings on a tricorder or the biobed. These will be normal for their species unless the person states otherwise for a matter of plot. Invite them back if they ever require medical assistance or support, and that’s the physical done and them fit for duty!