Slain Medical Student.

[stateofequilibrium]

I know this is old news, but it seems as if no one has posted it here yet and I believe that you should all read it.

Rebecca Park, a 4th year D.O. student was raped and killed in Philadelphia while jogging. Ever since I heard this story, it's been traumatizing my life at night.

I mean, not to be crass, but people get murdered and/or raped every day but Park as a medical student really makes people like you and me emphasize with the case. Especially since she was a fourth year which makes it even more tragic. Her hopes and dreams were ready to be realized when it was brutally ripped from her. One can easily put themselves in her place or the place of her loved ones, watching her struggle to get into medschool, the achievement and pride and then the anguish at her loss.

I hope they capture the sorry son of a man's best friend and castrate him. What makes me even more mad though is that someone heard her screaming, reported it to the police and still nothing came of it. If you were in that position would you have gone to investigate? If that person had maybe just peeked into the bushes.. sigh.

Sorry for the long post, kind of a catharsis for me. I'm a firm believer that bad things should never happen to girls, especially pretty intelligent girls!

Posted on Fri, Jul. 18, 2003

Body in Philadelphia park identified
By MARYCLAIRE DALE
Associated Press

PHILADELPHIA - A woman found slain in a park was identified as a medical student who had vanished while out running last weekend, authorities said Friday.

An autopsy confirmed the body found late Thursday was Rebecca Park, a student at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine from Olney, Md., police Inspector William Colarulo said. He said the cause of death was homicide.

After hearing on television that Park was missing, a woman had called police Thursday to say she had heard a scream in Fairmount Park about the time the woman vanished Sunday afternoon, police said.

Police found the body - clad only in a jogging bra, sneakers and socks - under wood and leaves on a steep hillside, less than a mile from Park's garden apartment.

Park, 30, had told her boyfriend she was going running about 4 p.m. She typically ran a two-mile route through the park, past police stables where she enjoyed watching the horses, Detective Michael Chitwood said Friday.

The boyfriend, a fellow medical student, and Park's father, who lives in Maryland, went to police Wednesday to report her missing. Chitwood said investigators had feared foul play because Park was a fourth-year medical student and a second lieutenant in the Army Reserves, so "her life is very orderly."

The boyfriend, who was not identified, is not a suspect, Chitwood said.

Fairmount Park covers 8,900 acres and includes winding creeks, nature trails, ball fields and picnic areas

[RajPatel]

i had a similar experience last year that really shook me to my core, and it home a lot harder than just a newspaper story.

a childhood friend went to SGU, returned stateside and had been practicing family medicine for just two years when he put a thing of kerosene in his trunk which somehow ignited and exploded, killing him.

it was hard to see this person go through the difficulties of island life, and then the rigors of residency, only to have that happen. of course, that is more a freak accident and not nearly like a brutal murder, so maybe it's not the same thing.

[mjl1717]

Newspaper story or accident--The point is that someone who was going through this tortuous,costly,endurance filled, extremely stressful Medical saga was slain. My condolences go out to Rebecca and her family.

[FLK]

I am not sure how being in the medical field makes her death any less or more tragic than anybody else that is brutally murdered.
still somebodys daughter, sister, friend etc

[emerson24]

Originally Posted by FLK

I am not sure how being in the medical field makes her death any less or more tragic than anybody else that is brutally murdered.
still somebodys daughter, sister, friend etc

My thoughts exactly.

[stateofequilibrium]

Originally Posted by emerson24

My thoughts exactly.

Because her life is not as strange to us then. Perhaps it's because I'm Korean-American as well, but nevertheless.. tragic.

[mjl1717]

I agree with state of equilibrium---Also supposedly?-Everyone on this forum is involved in a prime carreer in medicine,where it is of utmost importance to have a rapport and we have or had this in common with the slain student.

[emerson24]

Originally Posted by mjl1717

I agree with state of equilibrium---Also supposedly?-Everyone on this forum is involved in a prime carreer in medicine,where it is of utmost importance to have a rapport and we have or had this in common with the slain student.

I'm not sure how you can question ones level of empathy toward their supposed patients, or importance of "rapport" as you put, which is a bit confusing because rapport to me is usually used in a physical relationship with someone, not a conceptual knowing. But maybe that's my view of its use.

Nonetheless, it seems that both sides are right in some sense. Each person should feel a equal sense of "tradgedy" because it's unfortuante, and both people have loved ones (a med student and joe shmoe). But I think maybe where your coming from is the fact that when you identify with something, I think as state said, it's just natural to feel a bit more saddened.

I always thought about that too though, when a famous good hearted person dies, and people are like OOOH I can't believe he's passed on. I think, well there are all kinds of other people to that pass on, but it's not the same reaction. And I believe it to be identification.

So, to say that someone with my view point or FLK in where we said that it should be equal, I think is appropriate, and doesn't mean that we lack any ability to empathize accordingly. We're just pointing out that it SHOULD be equal to everyone, not more just because you made 5 movies or are a med student. However, emotional ties and identification with a person I think proves differently, as state pointed out.

[mjl1717]

I looked up rapport, it means sympathetic relationship or harmony.

[emerson24]

Originally Posted by mjl1717

I looked up rapport, it means sympathetic relationship or harmony.

hehe, thanks for enlightening me. I'm that much smarter now I've always used and heard the term as in "I have good rapport with them", usually(or always for me) stemming from physical interactions. So there you have it

Peace