You’re right. In the former case it’s utterly implausible that every ship doctor would not be an expert in a thing but still somehow be able to cure that thing. Every. Damn. Time.
At least with Pulaski they gave an excuse (well, assuming I buy your claims; frankly, I think you’re overstating things quite a bit).
You’re right. In the former case it’s utterly implausible that every ship doctor would not be an expert in a thing but still somehow be able to cure that thing. Every. Damn. Time.
At least with Pulaski they gave an excuse (well, assuming I buy your claims; frankly, I think you’re overstating things quite a bit).
Not being an expert, having a problem, learning, and overcoming the problem is the narrative circle.
Walking in as the foremost expert on everything is called a Mary Sue and is correctly derided as bad writing.
If we had been introduced to Pulaski being a virologist and then in later episodes her expertise is useful, that’s fine, narratively.
Edited:
Picard travels to the best heart surgeon in the Federation. Billions of humans. The best out of Billion:
"PHYSIOLOGIST: You’re unwilling to make the attempt??
SURGEON: I’m not qualified.
PHYSIOLOGIST: I know someone who is."
<Pulaski>
Best virologists in the Federation (again that means billions of people) doing cutting edge research:
"KINGSLEY [on viewscreen]: To whom am I speaking, please?
PULASKI: I’m Doctor Pulaski, Chief Medical Officer.
KINGSLEY [on viewscreen]: Katherine Pulaski, author of Linear Models of Viral Propagation?"
It’s hamfisted writing.