Star Trek: 10 Things You Didn't Know About Dr Leonard 'Bones' McCoy

10. He Didn't Attend The Academy

A lot of the confusion here comes from the 2009 Star Trek film, in which McCoy joined Starfleet Academy right at the same time as Kirk. In the prime timeline, McCoy never attended the Academy. Instead, he got a medical degree from the University of Mississippi and was commissioned to join the Starfleet ranks, and later the Enterprise, because of his talents in the field.

Many don't realise that the Academy is not the only path toward serving on a Federation starship. McCoy always saw himself as more of a doctor than a Starfleet officer, so, for him, medical school was the way to go.

Why he decided to attend the Academy in the alternate universe is unknown, but it could have something to do with how much more militarised Starfleet became after the USS Kelvin was destroyed by the Romulans. Maybe this caused Starfleet to be more picky with who they let on their ships.