BUSM Students Present Parkinson’s Partners Poster in Miami
Jonathan Fu, Sarah Singh, and Madhav Sambhu are second-year medical students at the Boston University School of Medicine leading a student group called “Parkinson’s Partners,” through which medical students are paired with Parkinson’s patients or these “partners.” In this group, both the medical students and Parkinson’s partners conduct fun, social activities together, such as potting, painting, playing board games, salsa dancing, and Tai Chi. In addition, students gain a great awareness of what living with Parkinson’s is like, and the sorts of treatment options and medications involved. Furthermore, this group provides a lot of informational sessions for patients and students alike, including on how to advocate for the rights of people with Parkinson’s. This year’s program is mentored by Dr. Stephanie Bissonnette and Dr. Katelyn Bird, of the Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders Center.
On Friday, December 13th, the three student leaders of Parkinson’s Partners traveled to Miami to present about the efforts of the service learning group at the University of Miami Community Health Leadership Conference (CHLC). At this conference, they talked about the successes and challenges that Parkinson’s Partners has faced from its conception to the most recent meetings that have occurred. At the same time, they gained a lot of awareness about similar community health projects at various medical schools around the country focused on other disadvantaged patient populations. Overall, it was a good learning experience for the leaders, and they will take some of the lessons that they’ve learned back to Boston to make improvements within Parkinson’s Partners.