In the Star Trek universe, the glory often goes to the captain, whose life-and-death decisions are what the multiple series’ narratives usually revolve around. However, it’s often the doctors who are the unsung heroes of these missions, researching the means to eliminate the numerous medical threats that routinely seem to plague their various crews.
Although they’ve all taken the same Hippocratic Oath, not all of Star Trek’s doctors are cut from the same mold. Sure, some are beloved, but some of their bedside manners and general personalities leave much to be desired.
10 Katherine Pulaski
Trekkers are a vocal fandom and have never let their dissatisfaction with a character remain unvoiced, which is why Dr. Pulaski is so universally reviled. Replacing Dr. Crusher for season 2 of Star Trek: The Next Generation, Pulaski’s channeling of the gruff and curmudgeonly ways of The Original Series' Dr. McCoy completely missed the mark with fans.
Perhaps her antipathy towards artificial life forms, personified by Lieutenant-Commander Data, added fuel to the fire of viewers’ hatred. After all, Data was a beloved and popular character on the show and having Pulaski constantly undercut him probably didn’t endear her to viewers.
9 Leonard McCoy (Original Timeline)
There’s no doubt that good old Dr. Leonard “Bones” McCoy is the standard by which all other doctors in Star Trek are measured, but by all accounts, he’s a pretty cranky guy. In general, he’s rather gruff and downright cantankerous with everyone from Captain Kirk to Nurse Chapel and is never shy with his sarcasm or biting observations.
Although he’s a great doctor, his bedside manner is passable at best in some situations. Perhaps his greatest failure is his inability to respect Vulcans for their adherence to the discipline of logic, which he constantly chides Mr. Spock for. That seems weird for a man who has chosen to work for an organization that preaches understanding and acceptance of all life forms and their customs!
8 Julian Bashir
Dr. Bashir was introduced as a fresh-faced, enthusiastic-though-somewhat-naive young man ready to make a difference on the far reaches of known space. In desperate need of some life experience to make interactions with his colleagues less awkward, Dr. Bashir received some much-needed “schooling” from people like Commander Sisko, Major Kira, and Odo.
There’s nothing immanently detestable about Dr. Bashir, but his doe-eyed comportment and transparent charm with the ladies were somewhat grating to watch. An attempt to make the character more interesting by revealing him to be genetically engineered fell flat, much like his character.
7 Leonard McCoy (Kelvin Timeline)
Star Trek fans met the announcement that the Original Series would be rebooted on the big screen with new actors with both excitement and trepidation. For the most part, the films have been met with a lukewarm response by fans, but one thing everyone can agree on is that the characterizations are spot-on.
Leading the pack in the new cast is Karl Urban’s portrayal of Dr. McCoy. Urban has managed to channel DeForest Kelly’s cantankerous curmudgeon to a tee but has also infused him with a sense of compassion and humor that requires less digging to see than in the Original Series.
6 The Doctor
When Voyager’s Chief Medical Officer was killed in transit to the Delta Quadrant, the Emergency Medical Hologram was activated to tend to those wounded from the journey. Abrupt, somewhat snarky, and lacking a sympathetic bedside manner, the EMH bore more than a passing resemblance in character and appearance to its creator, Lewis Zimmerman.
When it became apparent that Voyager would be stuck in the Delta Quadrant indefinitely, the EMH took over the ship's medical duties as The Doctor. Gradually, his program adapted itself to become more human and infinitely more likable, making him one of the more sympathetic characters on the ship.
5 Christine Chapel
Played by Gene Roddenberry’s real-life wife, Majel Barrett, Nurse Chapel was a compassionate, fan-favorite character who cared for her patients with all her heart and ability. During her tenure as a nurse aboard the original Enterprise, she worked under Dr. McCoy and harbored some not-so-hidden romantic feelings for Mr. Spock.
Eagle-eared fans will realize that Chapel had become a doctor herself by the time Star Trek: The Motion Picture was released, and she was seen trying to care for the injured at Starfleet Headquarters in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home.
4 Phil Boyce
Casual fans may not know that William Shatner’s James Kirk wasn’t the first (televised) captain of the USS Enterprise- that honor fell on Jeffrey Hunter’s Christopher Pike. Aside from a certain pointy-eared bridge officer, Pike’s Enterprise looked very different from Kirk’s in terms of personnel, including the resident CMO, Phil Boyce.
Boyce was immediately endearing in his first real scene, acting more like a counselor to the troubled Captain Pike than a doctor. Calm, patient, attentive, and compassionate, Dr. Boyce had the practiced bedside manner of a seasoned veteran. Although the logic of carrying a mini-bar in a satchel rather than medical equipment needs to be questioned, there’s no doubt Dr. Boyce was immediately likable.
3 Hugh Culber
Being one of the first openly gay regular characters on a Star Trek series notwithstanding, Dr. Culber was one of the easiest characters to root for. Knowledgeable, compassionate, passionate, and driven, Dr. Culber was not just committed to his patients, but to the pursuit of truth no matter what the cost.
His death at the hands of Ash Tyler/Voq was as heartwrenching as it was visceral. His return as a conflicted and scarred survivor of the mycelial network was ingenious but threatened to overturn his previous characterization with a “dark and edgy” new persona. Thankfully, Dr. Culber has embraced his roots, and is his imminently likable self!
2 Beverly Crusher
When Dr. Crusher was first introduced in Season 1 of Star Trek: The Next Generation, she seemed rather cold and aloof and was quickly written out of Season 2. Her return in Season 3 seemed to accompany the writers’ attempt to flesh out her character a little more fully, and Dr. Crusher quickly became one of the series’ more quietly endearing characters.
Dr. Crusher was a brilliant and passionate doctor, concerned with her patients’ well-being even above her own. After all, she’d have to be to advocate bringing a Borg drone onboard the Enterprise for humanitarian reasons. She was also fearless in following her passions and defending what she thought was right, as her frequent butting of heads with Captain Picard stands testament to.
1 Phlox
Star Trek: Enterprise may have the ignominious distinction of being the least-favored Star Trek series to air to date, but there were some laudable aspects of the show that bear mentioning. Aside from being daring enough to show the Trek universe in its infancy, Enterprise presented some interesting and compelling characters that added to the overall fabric of Trek lore.
Dr. Phlox was just such a character. A Denobulan in origin, Phlox represented the best in a doctor and an individual: he was passionate, learned, and open to new ideas- the very traits that make for excellent Starfleet officers!
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