PMDC interns get firsthand experience in movement disorders field
PMDC interns get firsthand experience in movement disorders field
By Sean Gorman
High school seniors Carson Spicer and Ella Kraft are on different career tracks in health care that led them both to internships at the VCU Parkinson’s and Movement Disorders Center (PMDC).
Kraft, a biology major, is planning on becoming a physician assistant while Spicer envisions going into public relations in the health care space. From August 2024 to May 2025, the two Maggie Walker Governor’s School students got a firsthand look at the PMDC’s work helping patients living with movement disorders and advancing research in the field.
Through the mentorship program, Kraft shadowed Brian Berman, M.D., the PMDC’s director, as he met with patients who have Parkinson’s disease and dystonia.
And she worked on a study with PMDC Clinical Research Coordinator Caileigh Dintino that examines overnight heart rate changes in Parkinson’s patients and what those heart rate variations might mean for a patient’s underlying health.
Kraft interned at the PMDC while taking a college-level course on how physiology and anatomy impact human behavior.
“It’s been incredible,” Kraft says about working at PMDC. “I’m in a physiological psychology class at VCU right now, and a lot of the material that I’m learning aligns with what I’m learning in my PMDC mentorship. It’s really cool being able to use that information in real life.”
Spicer also got experience on the clinical side during her internship in addition to working with PMDC Senior Community Outreach and Engagement Coordinator Bonnie Mahl on outreach and marketing initiatives.
Among the projects Spicer worked on was designing surveys that seek insights on how the PMDC can spread the word about the support groups and other resources it offers to caregivers with loved ones living with Parkinson’s disease.
“My grandfather has Lewy body dementia,” Spicer says of the neurodegenerative illness. “I’ve watched my dad and my grandmother as caregivers and seen how hard it is to find resources, so I thought ‘this is something that needs to be done.’”
Spicer has also been working on the PMDC’s website design and social media channels as well as writing an article about the center’s community outreach during Parkinson’s Awareness Month. The internship provided key firsthand experience in a future role in health care marketing that she plans to pursue.
“I took the same VCU class Ella’s taking, so that really made me interested in neurology. With my grandfather’s diagnosis, too, I’ve always thought I would go into a field related to health care,” Spicer says.
She got connected to the internship after reaching out to Leslie Cloud, M.D., director of the Parkinson’s Disease Program at the PMDC. Cloud got Spicer in touch with Mahl.
Kraft found out about the internship through her grandmother, who is one of Berman’s patients with Parkinson’s disease, and asked him about internship opportunities for high school students. During her time at PMDC, Kraft has witnessed the empathy and patience Berman displays while treating people living with movement disorders.
“It’s been really cool to see that, and it’s something that will definitely help me down the road,” Kraft says.