Chief Medical Officer

The Chief Medical Officer (C.M.O.) onboard a starship or a station posting is responsible for the entire physical and mental well being of every person within that facility.

Overview
A Chief Medical Officer can serve under any rank, as long as he/she/it graduated Starfleet Medical Academy with full commission and has a License to practice medicine within the United Federation of Planets (usually granted with the commission).

The officer then takes the Hippocractic Oath, a time honoured tradition which is a promise by all physicians to their patients to always put the patients welfare above all else. This means that, not only must a Chief Medical Officer hold a responsibility for the officers and crew of his installation, but the civilians around him and any other being that may require medical attention too.

Starship Life
Onboard a starship, a Chief Medical Officer has a vital role to play. A Commanding Officer needs a crew he/she can rely on and it is the duty of the Chief Medical Officer to ensure the physical and mental states of wellbeing. The CMO often corresponds with the Executive Officer and the Chief Counselor on-board a starship to assess his or her patients needs.

If required, and only under a restricted and well regulated set of circumstances, the Chief Medical Officer has the authority to relieve the Commanding Officer from her/his post. This is only a last resort and done to protect the greater well being of the crew when the Chief Medical Officer feels that the Commanding Officers ability to command the ship is being impaired by a medical or psychological condition.

Besides this s/he is available to provide medical advice to any individual who requests it. Additionally the CMO is also responsible for all aspect of the medical deck, such as the Medical labs, Surgical suites and Dentistry's. S/he also is a department head and a member of the Senior Staff responsible for all the crew members in her/his department and the associated duty rosters.