For the family who simply cannot afford a funeral or the individual who wants to make a contribution to science, whole body donation is an option.
Donating a body to a medical program is considered an act of altruism since the use of cadavers helps advance medical training for future doctors, surgeons and other allied health fields (like physical therapists). Many people will do this because of the obvious costs saved (no funeral costs, no plot to purchase, etc.).
In North Carolina, there are eight colleges and universities with anatomical body donation programs. Click on each to link to a web page with more details:
- University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill
- Duke University
- Wake Forest University
- Campbell University
- Elon University
- East Carolina University
- Fayetteville Technical Community College
- High Point University.
You’ll find additional information about these programs on the North Carolina Office of the Chief Medical Examiner Commission of Anatomy web page.
Anatomical body donation is not for everyone, and we need to be aware that PLANNING for this is of the utmost importance. There are applications to be completed beforehand with every institution, and it could be that when death occurs that institution may not be able to take the body as planned.
It’s always best to have an alternative body disposition strategy in place.