Spartans graduate from MSU in African country

Nate Salazar
·2 min read

LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) — Most Michigan State University graduates walk across a stage in East Lansing, in front of proud relatives.

But for three doctoral graduates, the commencement took place on the African continent this spring.

Jessie Langmeyer, Rachel Song, and Madison Patrus are all doctoral graduates of MSU’s College of Osteopathic Medicine. They’ve been getting valuable experience at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Blantyre, the second-largest city in Malawi.

It’s been a really great clinical experience,” said Dr. Jessie Langmeyer. “Students really get to see a wide variety of patient presentations here…see how medicine varies in different parts of the world.”

Dr. Rachel Song told 6 News that working in Malawi has allowed her to get experience with cases that you would not normally see in the United States.

  • Jessie Langmeyer, Rachel Song and Madison Patrus completed their MSU doctoral degrees while in Malawi. (Photos courtesy Jessie Langmeyer)
    Jessie Langmeyer, Rachel Song and Madison Patrus completed their MSU doctoral degrees while in Malawi. (Photos courtesy Jessie Langmeyer)
  • Jessie Langmeyer, Rachel Song and Madison Patrus completed their MSU doctoral degrees while in Malawi. (Photos/Jessie Langmeyer)
    Jessie Langmeyer, Rachel Song and Madison Patrus completed their MSU doctoral degrees while in Malawi. (Photos/Jessie Langmeyer)
  • Jessie Langmeyer, Rachel Song and Madison Patrus completed their MSU doctoral degrees while in Malawi. (Photos/Jessie Langmeyer)
    Jessie Langmeyer, Rachel Song and Madison Patrus completed their MSU doctoral degrees while in Malawi. (Photos/Jessie Langmeyer)
  • Jessie Langmeyer, Rachel Song and Madison Patrus completed their MSU doctoral degrees while in Malawi. (Photos/Jessie Langmeyer)
    Jessie Langmeyer, Rachel Song and Madison Patrus completed their MSU doctoral degrees while in Malawi. (Photos/Jessie Langmeyer)
  • Jessie Langmeyer, Rachel Song and Madison Patrus completed their MSU doctoral degrees while in Malawi. (Photos courtesy Jessie Langmeyer)
    Jessie Langmeyer, Rachel Song and Madison Patrus completed their MSU doctoral degrees while in Malawi. (Photos courtesy Jessie Langmeyer)
  • Jessie Langmeyer, Rachel Song and Madison Patrus completed their MSU doctoral degrees while in Malawi. (Photos courtesy Jessie Langmeyer)
    Jessie Langmeyer, Rachel Song and Madison Patrus completed their MSU doctoral degrees while in Malawi. (Photos courtesy Jessie Langmeyer)
  • Jessie Langmeyer, Rachel Song and Madison Patrus completed their MSU doctoral degrees while in Malawi. (Photos courtesy Jessie Langmeyer)
    Jessie Langmeyer, Rachel Song and Madison Patrus completed their MSU doctoral degrees while in Malawi. (Photos courtesy Jessie Langmeyer)
  • Jessie Langmeyer, Rachel Song and Madison Patrus completed their MSU doctoral degrees while in Malawi. (Photos courtesy Jessie Langmeyer)
    Jessie Langmeyer, Rachel Song and Madison Patrus completed their MSU doctoral degrees while in Malawi. (Photos courtesy Jessie Langmeyer)

“And we had kids with very significant heart abnormalities, and that’s something that, in the U.S. they would have known about before this child was born,” Song said.

Their hard work paid off, and in Malawi, they adorned their graduation hoods–made by a local tailor from fabric they bought at a local outdoor market.

“She had never made a graduation hood before, but we gave her some of the local fabric and a pattern, and she was able to create these really beautiful hoods for us,” Patrus said. “Kind of helped make it feel a little bit more real, I think, being in Malawi for this.”

The graduates were also able to livestream the ceremony back home–whereby they could tune in and be with the rest of their fellow Spartan graduates.

The three doctoral graduates are set to return to the United States on May 3–but not before flying to South Africa for a post-graduation vacation.

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