MSUCOM in Malawi

Since the 1950s, Michigan State University (MSU) has engaged with global partners to help make the world a better place. Michigan State University (MSU) consistently ranks among the top U.S. institutions for study abroad participation. Specifically, MSU is recognized as a national leader in education abroad, holding the #1 position among public universities for study abroad according to U.S. News & World Report. In 2024, they were ranked 8th overall for study abroad. IIE Open Doors Report also highlights MSU as a top institution for education abroad.

In Malawi, Terrie Taylor, D.O., University Distinguished Professor and Foundations Professor at MSUCOM, has supported these mission points through her research, teaching and partnership with community advocates to make a difference for malaria patients and their families. According to the World Health Organization, there were 249 million malaria cases worldwide in 2022, nearly 4.5 million of which were in Malawi. As a malaria expert and global health advocate, Dr. Taylor studies the “tricky parasite” she greatly respects, administers vaccinations and regularly shares lessons learned from decades of work.

Read more about the full extent of Dr. Taylor's and MSUCOM's impact in Malawi in SpartanDO Journeys magazine.

Dr. Taylor is widely recognized for her nearly 40 years of research and clinical service of patients with malaria. She has spent six months each year in the Paediatric Research Ward at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital in Malawi, a landlocked country in southeastern Africa. She also has coordinated elective rotations in Malawi for MSU osteopathic students to broaden their global health experience.

In 2024, she was presented with the Community Engagement Scholarship Lifetime Achievement Award from MSU, recognizing her outstanding and sustained accomplishment in community-engaged scholarship through Malaria research and outreach in Malawi. Dr. Taylor was also named president-elect of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. 

That same year, MSUCOM Class of 2024 members Rachel Song, D.O., Jessie Langmeyer, D.O., and Madison Patrus, D.O., opted to stay in Malawi to finish their six-week clinical rotation, rather than fly back for commencement in East Lansing. They held their own ceremony, complete with hoods created by a local tailor with fabric from the downtown market. Dr. Taylor called out each student’s name, and the ceremony was followed by a dinner with medical students from around the world.