Michigan State University

College of Osteopathic Medicine

Dean's Update 2025-5

Celebrating milestones and the future in osteopathic medicine

MSUCOM at MOA

This month, at the Michigan Osteopathic Medicine (MOA) Spring Conference, the Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine (MSUCOM) was in the house, sharing updates on our college and people with our colleagues and partners across Michigan.

It was energizing to be in the community with fellow D.O.s, sharing ideas and celebrating our work, and looking toward the future. This is an exciting time for our profession with growing momentum and increased interest in our principles that set osteopathic medicine apart.

Celebrating new MSUCOM osteopathic physicians

May has been a month of achievements. Celebrating our D.O. Class of 2025 at commencement is one of those highlights. We prepared and sent off into residency our newest class of D.O. physicians, with two-thirds of the class – 201 osteopathic physicians – staying right here in Michigan. Their achievements are a source of pride and inspiration for us all. We know that where a physician does residency is a great indicator of where they will serve people and communities.

MSUCOM continues to be the state's medical school as we work to help fill the need for physicians in Michigan. Of this year's graduating class of osteopathic physicians, 67% are staying in Michigan to serve our communities, joining our alumni (about 73% of our graduates) who continue to serve the people and communities of Michigan.

We genuinely are Michigan's medical school.

Welcoming our new classes of students: D.O. and PA

While we celebrated those who completed their training in early May, we welcomed a new class of PA Medicine students later in the month.

Most of this class – 95% – come from right here in Michigan. These future PAs arrived at MSUCOM with more than 1,800 health care hours under their belts and over 200 community service hours. Of the class, 87% gained leadership experience while undergraduates, with 53% graduating from MSU.

These statistics are not a surprise – at MSUCOM, we attract the best and brightest. We will also welcome our next class of D.O. students in early July. This new class of 300 D.O. students draws from an applicant pool of 7,708 – an 8% increase in overall applications and a 5% growth in applicants from Michigan.

One of the most impactful parts of our admissions process for our osteopathic medical students is that our graduates help select the new classes. Nearly 80 D.O.s – most of them alums of MSUCOM – helped us in this admissions process. For that, I'm genuinely humbled and grateful. Thank you all for being a part of this process.

Serving with heart: the MSUCOM Student-Run Free Clinic

In addition to our graduates, our other D.O. students continue their dedication to becoming the best physicians they can possibly be. In fact, our second-year class has worked diligently during the past year-plus to establish the Student-Run Free Clinic, which opened its doors April 26 at the MSU Clinical Center. Led by our students and supervised by licensed faculty, the clinic provides free health care services to the community from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. on the second and fourth Saturdays of each month.

Their dedication is truly commendable and deserves our full support. You may give online here and please type MSUCOM Student Run Free Clinic in the Search for Funds field.

Patenge awards

We honored two distinguished osteopathic physicians in May with the Walter F. Patenge Medal of Public Service awarded to Lisa DeStefano, D.O., and David Kaufman, D.O.

This is the college's highest honor, recognizing those who have significantly advanced public health, osteopathic medical education and community service. Anyone who knows Dr. DeStefano and Dr. Kaufman understands that they embody these attributes.

We are grateful for all they have done during their careers and for spending time here at MSUCOM.

One Team. One Health.

We continue the journey to discover what we can accomplish at MSU under the vision of President Kevin Guskiewicz and the One Team, One Health approach to training physicians and other health care professionals focused on the interconnectedness of human health, animal health and the health of our environment.

MSU is uniquely positioned to achieve One Health in an impactful and meaningful way. We are a university with expertise in human medicine, veterinary medicine, nutrition, environmental science and more. As we explore what this may look like, including the initiative to unify MSU's medical colleges, I hope you will keep an open mind.

There are compelling reasons to explore this bold step. We look to:

  • Secure and elevate the role of osteopathic medicine within MSU by establishing a unified structure that protects our distinct philosophy while positioning us as co-leaders in medical education, research and clinical excellence.
  • Enhance our ability to advocate for resources, including research infrastructure, clinical training sites and student support, by presenting a coordinated vision.
  • Position MSU as a national and international leader in health professions education – no other university offers both D.O. and M.D. degrees under one college.
  • Streamline operations to eliminate duplication and improve efficiency in academic programming, administrative services and faculty collaboration.
  • Accelerate innovation in medical education and practice by integrating emerging best practices – especially in the use of artificial intelligence in clinical care, diagnostics and systems-based practice – ensuring MSU delivers the most advanced, future-ready medical training in the world.

In addition, the university will continue exploring a new College of Health Professions that would align health programs across MSU and an Institute for Collaborative Biomedical Research.

Along with many of our college leaders, I am involved in this exploration phase. Whatever the outcome, I will continue to champion our commitment to osteopathic medicine and our holistic approach to care as we serve our students, people and communities in Michigan and beyond.

You may keep up on the council's work and essential updates from President Guskiewicz here.

Navigating financial headwinds

MSUCOM, like many academic institutions, is navigating serious financial challenges. We are doing our part to support the university’s response to rising health care costs, which are placing immense pressure on the overall budget. At the same time, we are experiencing real and immediate cuts to federal research funding and associated program support – resources that have long sustained academic innovation and discovery. These reductions directly impact our ability to drive forward new knowledge and improve health outcomes through research.

In addition, we are facing cuts to Medicaid-based educational support – funding that has historically helped offset the significant cost of training future physicians in clinical environments. These pressures require us to make difficult decisions, but our mission remains unchanged. We are approaching this moment with clear priorities: protecting the excellence of our programs, supporting our students and faculty, and ensuring that our commitment to advancing osteopathic medicine remains strong. Through strategic adjustments and continued advocacy, we are determined to sustain our impact in education, research and care.

Campaign

As I shared earlier, we are working on MSU’s Campaign – Uncommon Will—Far Better World – the most ambitious philanthropic effort in the university’s history. With a $4 billion university-wide goal, this campaign will support health, education, research and global impact.

Our college has a $60 million goal in support of these key areas:

  • Medical Education and Simulation Center: A premier medical education and simulation center will serve as a central hub for training, leadership and collaboration, ensuring graduates are fully prepared for a technology-driven health care environment.
  • Faculty Support – Chairs and Professorships: Endowed positions are crucial for recruiting top-tier research faculty and advancing our mission centered around world-class, osteopathic, patient-centered care.
  • Student Scholarship Support: To diversify the physician workforce and address health inequities, increased scholarship funding is essential to make medical school accessible, so students can become physicians serving communities without crushing debt.
  • Osteopathic Research Funding: In addition to pioneering the first D.O.-Ph.D. program, research has long been a core part of our identity – crucial in helping shape the future of health care.

This campaign reflects our values. At MSUCOM, we serve people by caring for their health; educating the next generation of osteopathic physicians, physician-scientists and PAs, and conducting research that improves lives locally and around the world. We graduate more physicians who stay in Michigan than any other medical school in the state.

As we face financial headwinds – including reductions in federal research funding, rising costs in health care delivery and diminished support for clinical education through Medicaid – your support is not just meaningful, it’s essential. Your gift helps shape a future where osteopathic medical education remains bold, distinct and essential.

Your support helps ensure that future D.O.s are trained in a learning environment that reflects our shared values – empathy, innovation and service – and that our impact continues for generations to come. If you are inclined to make a significant gift, please contact Development to explore a conversation around impact areas. Thank you!

Looking ahead

Keep in mind MSU is sponsoring the Primary Care Summer Symposium June 20-22 at the Blue Water Convention Center in Port Huron, Mich. The event offers 15.00 AOA Category 1-A/AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™, including required training in medical ethics, opioid awareness and implicit bias.

Together, we move forward

Thank you for your interest in and support of MSUCOM, whether by carrying our messages forward, volunteering and mentoring, financially supporting programs and scholarships, or showing up when and where we need you. We are truly grateful to all of you, our alumni, students, partners, and faculty and staff, who tirelessly serve our college.

Feel free to reach out to me at dejongj@msu.edu. I always value hearing from you.

Learn. Heal. Lead.

Joyce deJong, D.O.
Dean, MSU College of Osteopathic Medicine