Commander Rica Palermo

Misc

Permission Level

Crew

Character Information

Gender		Female
Species		Human (Filipino/Chinese)
Age		65

Physical Appearance

Height		5-10
Weight		119
Hair Color		Black
Eye Color		Brown
Physical Description		A middle aged woman, of Filipino and Chinese heritage. Looks more Chinese, but has her Filipino traits. She has shoulder length dark black hair now speckled with gray, beautiful light tan to dark caramel color skin, with a short nose, high cheek bones, curved eyebrows, and a well cared for and sexy body for an older woman in her 60’s. Wears glasses for reading, or for close up work. Suffers from Presbyopia , which is not helped by Retinax V

Family

Spouse		Dr. Bryan Palermo, Pediatric Neurosurgeon
Children		Son: Dr. Bong Palermo, Chief of Pathology Daughter: Dr. Ephrema Palermo, Obstetrics/Gynecology
Father		Dr. Caesar Dequina, Cardiothoracic Surgeon
Mother		Dr. Constancia Dequina, Pediatric Cardiac Surgeon.
Brother(s)		LTG, Edmundo Palermo, Starfleet Marine Corps
Sister(s)		Dr. Erlinda Pastrana, Chief of Virology & Pathology.
Other Family		Sister in Law: BG, Jana Garcia Palermo, Starfleet Marine Corps

Personality & Traits

General Overview		Gregarious to a fault, who loves to pull great practical jokes. She's equally more at home Reading, writing, and sewing costumes for the role playing group she’s in. But her great love is singing in a Karaoke group with friends, and sometimes to cope with her slight case of anxiety; she’s been known to turn up a recording of an ancient 21st century hard rock group, and sing along, or to change the pace, she’ll sing ancient Motown records by Teddy Pendergrass, Luther Vandross, Aretha Franklin, and others. But Dr. Palermo when provoked can be extremely cantankerous, indignant, and downright rude when she feels that someone has been blamed for something they had not done. Going for the throat, she has a reputation for walking over someone, and with her acerbic tongue give them a verbal put down. Because of her reputation as a fighter, the crew gave her the nickname of “Lola” (grandmother)
Strengths & Weaknesses		PLUSES: +Has a quiet demeanor like that of an old earth family doctor, more of a motherly touch with modern technology. +Dispenses old time advice on everything from raising children to treating people fairly. + Believes in alternative lifestyles. Supporter of Tran people, Gays/Lesbians,Bisexuals NEGATIVES - Cantankerous, arrogant, grouchy and rude at times, sometimes venting her anger at what she calls “stupid people”, - Has been known to verbally rake over the coals, any officer who tries to make her do something that is unethical or because its convenient, at the time. - Has over 120 charges of insubordination, for calling captains to senior officer by their first name - Loves to smoke old earth cigars, and have a glass of brandy before going to bed. - Hates being transported, claiming that certain number of her own brain cells are destroyed each time she is beamed down.
Hobbies & Interests		Rica loves professional football teams of the 21st century. To relieve the stress of the job, Rica usually programs the Sports Holodeck program, and brings up a Forty Niner game with her as the quarter back. But to really bond with each other, she sometimes takes the off-duty physicians, nurses and hospital corpsmen, where they play tackle football against each other. With her taking her Corpsmen with her to be the Forty Niners, and the medical officers and nurses as the opposite team. Her other interests are in Cooking, reading, writing, and playing the bass guitar, specializing in "heavy Metal", and 20th century "Motown Music" When she's off duty you may run into her as she walks around the ship, meeting everyone while wearing a reproduction of a San Francisco Forty Niner football jersey or maybe wearing a long dress with her hair sloppily pinned up with a pencil or metal spike stuck in her hair to keep it partially pinned up.

Personal History		Born on March 10th, 2326 to Drs. Ceasar and Constantia Palermo, in Banga Aklan the Philippines. While growing up in the Philippines Rica had a quiet and normal childhood, playing with the other children in the neighborhood. Swimming in the local rivers, going to the movies, and staying out late at night. But with the birth of her brother Edmundo her normal childhood took a back seat as she was forced to care for him. Now forced to care for him since it was the eldest Childs responsibility in the Philippines she made his life hard, forced to wash the dishes, clean the house , and wash all of the cars of her parents, Edmundo just did what he was told. But it was the birth of Ascenscion their second sister that Edmundo and eventually Ascenscion were now bearing the brunt of Rica’s fury, as she continually attack her siblings verbally, when things did not go right. As the years slowly passed, and her mother was able to hire more housekeeps who did all of the work, Rica was now a self-centered woman, who felt people owed her things, but after working in her parents clinic for a few years, doing everything from making new appointments, assisting in the back with her parents patients, Soon Rica was now running the successful clinic. With Ricas interest in the medical arts, and with her grades now excellent enough to graduate ahead of her other classmates, Rica graduated from high school two years ahead of everyone , and soon she was enrolled at the University of the Philippines, Dilliman Campus where she graduated four years later from her Pre-Med course with a Bachelors of Science degree. Always wanting to travel to Boston, she chose Massachusetts General Hospital for her first of many residencies. Taking the General Surgery residency, she graduated and told her parents she was staying to take the Cardio-Thoracic residency. Staying for her eight years; and during her free time, she volunteered her skills at a free clinic, performing free minor surgery procedures to the poor and indigent of the area. Now with medical degree and two specialized skills she decided to work in private practice and for five years she went into private practice working on thousands of patients. Tired at of working in private practice, Rica decided to enter Starfleet because it offered her more opportunities to do things that she could not get. Rica because of her age, clinical skills, board certified in two hard to get medical skills, a practicing physician with her own private practice, she did not have to attend the basic Starfleet Medical School, but would have to attend the Basic Medical Officers basic school which was a year long. There she would learn how to lead medical officers. As a practicing physicians for several years, and having two hard medical skills behind her, she was given the rank of LCDR as a matter of professional courtesy. Once she had graduated from the one year Starfleets basic officers course, where she was taught how to wear the uniform, recognize military officers, she was sent after graduation to Starbase 21 to be their new surgeon. Working at SB21 for over four years, her next assignment was at Starfleet Medical where she became the Assistant Chief of Surgery. Returning to a teaching environment, Rica soon learned she loved to teach. With 21 students all hungering to learn as much as she could dish out, she turned out very competent surgeons. t was several years later when she was once again transferred, but it was up one floor to the position as the new Head of the Surgery Department. Now in charge of all of the Surgical Residents, she was relentless as she taught them everything, For four years she worked hard, and was soon reward with a transfer to the USS Hood where she received her first commendation for bravery. During the battle of Operation Return as the Chief of Surgery for the Hood, the fleet took heavy casualties, and with thousands of their shipmate dying because many of the surgical systems commonly found on board the starships were now disabled. It was during this time that Dr. Palermo did something different, but saved lives. She returned back to the days of 21st century surgery, where she actually opened the body to repair damaged body systems, and with many of the medical/surgical systems slowly coming back on line, by the time she and the available surgeons were finished, they had saved more than 1500 men and women that would have died needlessly. But because the battle was still continuing, Rica was severely injured by a disruptor beam that hit a sickbay where she and over 50 severely injured crewmen were resting. Suffering major burns, broken bones, massive lacerations, and shock, she was saved by the actions of the hospital corpsmen. For her unselfish disregard for her own safety, and saving over 1500 crewmen with her unorthodox, but still required surgical training; by all 1st year surgical residents. She was awarded the Delta Cross for bravery, and promoted to full commander. After a long convalescent leave, Rica was put into the Medical Officers Exchange Program where she served with the Klingon self defense forces, and Romulan Army’s medical department. There on both planets she observed how the Klingons and Romulans administered medical care to their own troops. Deciding to advance her medical knowledge Rica applied for the only opening to the Emergency Department Physicians Training Program at Stanford School of Medicine, and for the next four years, Rica slaved over her books, and when she graduated, she spent a few months with her family back in the Philippines, then after checking in with Starfleet Medical, she applied for the Emergency Department Traumatic Surgery rotation at the University of California Los Angeles, school of medicine. Graduating with high grades, Rica now with over 20 years of good service, and having sent in her official medical packet to the promotion boards for a Captaincy. In 2390, Rica was promoted to the rank of Captain (0-6), promotable to Admiral. Turning down the promotion to full captain three times, Rica applied the position of Chief Medical Officer on the USS James Kir, a new Galaxy class Starship, and for the year she was there she served at the ships CMO. Even Rica seemed to be in school learning a new medical skill or being sent to a ship or a starbase, Rica managed to get married to Dr. Bryan Palermo, a practicing Pediatric Neurosurgeon. She also managed to raise two children who all became physicians. Now in her later years, it was time for her to relax and work in a large facility as an Assistant Chief Medical Officer.
Service Record		CIVILIAN MEDICAL SCHOOL RECORD (2342-2363)  2342-2346 Pre-Med, University of the Philippines, high honors  2346-2350 University of the Philippines, School of Medicine, honors  2350-2354 General Surgery residency, Mass General Hospital.  2354- 2358 Cardio Thoracic Surgery residency, Mass General Hospital.  2358-2363 Private Surgery Practice, Los Angeles, Ca STARFLEET MEDICAL SERVICE RECORD (2363-2382)  2363-2364 Starfleet Academy, Basic Officers School for trained Mdical Professionals  0000-2364 Promoted to LCDR, (0-4) (Professional Courtesy)  2364-2368 Starbase 21, general surgeon  2368-2372 Starfleet Medical, Assistant Chief of Surgery  2372-2376 Starfleet Medical, Head of Surgery Department  0000-2374 Transferred to USS Hood, Chief of Surgery, Injured during "Operation Return" Wounded during the battle.  0000-2376 Promoted to CDR (0-5)  2376-2382 Medical Officers Exchange Program;  Klingon Defense force  Romulan Military Forces EXTENDED LEAVE OF ABSENCE FOR ADVANCED MEDICAL TRAINING (2382 - 2390)  2382-2386 Emergency Department Physician Training program, Stanford school of Medicine  2386-2390 Emergency Department Traumatic Surgery rotation, UCLA School of Medicine CURRENT STARFLEET RECORD:  0000-2390 Promoted to Captain (0-6)  2390-2391 USS Eclipse, Chief Medical Officer Starbase 400, Assistant Chief Medical Officer AWARDS/RIBBONS UFP; Citation of Exceptional Service, 3-stars UFP; Zefram Cochrane Medal of Excellence UFP; Federation-Klingon Officer Exchange Program Medal UFP; Federation-Romulan Officer Exchange Program Medal UFP; Defense Distinguished Service Medal UFP; Operation Return Medal UFP; Extended Tour Ribbon UFP; Purple Heart (Injuries suffered during Operation Return) COMMENDATIONS: Commendation for Medical ingenuity Commendation for Loyalty MEDALS Starfleet; Delta Cross, for conspicuous gallantry during Operation Return