DPS jobs lacking utility?

[Rongway]

I wonder if the only way to "fix" it would be adding a pre-SCH healer class (Academician anyone?)

This is unnecessary. Scholar is already effectively a classless job in its mechanical implementation (just look at their Actions window). It just needs a final separation from Arcanist. Require ACN30 to unlock it, have new scholars start at SCH30, level SCH separately from ACN/SMN, and grandfather everyone in with their initial SCH level matching their ACN level.

This of course would do nothing to address SMN's Physick being useless once they move to INT-specific gear; but it's nonetheless a change that would be very easy for the devs to make without unnecessarily introducing a new class.