COVID Protocol: As of May 5th, 2024: Donors must be free of COVID-19 for 5 days, prior to their passing, to be considered for anatomical donation for our program.
Thank you for inquiring about The Duke Anatomical Gifts Program! Donors who generously choose to donate their bodies to our program, upon their passing, make an invaluable contribution to the education of healthcare professional students, surgeons, and residents. Whole-body donation is a profound gift that creates a ripple effect: the healthcare professionals who learn from their “silent teachers” go on to provide care to countless patients and advance the field of science.
Through this program, our students gain an unparalleled opportunity to study the intricate complexities of human anatomy. Please note that our body donation program is exclusively for educational purposes; we do not conduct research on diseases in our labs. Individuals wishing to donate their bodies for the study of specific medical conditions should explore clinical trials designed for that purpose. Additionally, we do not perform autopsies or produce medical reports.
A “Donor Card” serves as a first-person consent, legal document that indicates your intent to donate your body to our program upon your passing. It is not an “application” for anatomical donation, as we do not maintain records of potential donors. Instead, we assess each donation at or near the time of death based on the donor’s medical history at that time. If you or a loved one enters hospice care or death becomes imminent, please contact us. We recommend keeping one copy of your “Donor Card” in your wallet and providing another to your designated agent, who will assist with arrangements at the time of your passing.
The duration of a donor’s physical contribution to teaching typically lasts about one year, though it can range from two months to two years. Upon completion of their teaching role, we facilitate and cover the cost of cremation. Each donor is cremated individually. Families may choose to pick up the cremains at Duke, have them mailed to their address, or opt for scattering in a designated area of Duke Forest.
Each spring, following the academic year in which the donor’s cremation occurred, we hold an annual Memorial Service at Duke Chapel in Durham, NC. This service honors the donors who supported the School of Medicine that year. It provides an opportunity for students, doctors, and instructors to express their gratitude and share how these donations have profoundly impacted their education and careers. They are deeply humbled and inspired by this extraordinary gift.
Whole-body donation for medical education is a gift of immeasurable value, and we are sincerely grateful for your interest in making such a meaningful contribution.
Criteria for Donation
These guidelines are established for the physical body’s suitability for teaching and the safety of our staff, students, and educators. The Duke Anatomical Gifts Program has the right to reject a body for donation at any point in the process under any circumstances.
INCLUSION Criteria
- Within 3 days of one’s death
- 18 years of age or older (There is no age maximum)
- Height: 6ft or under
- Weight: Less than 200 lbs.
- Has muscle mass (Cannot be emaciated or cachexic)
- Cancer of any origin
- Orthopedic work (Joint arthroplasty, plates, screws, etc.)
- Medical devices or implants
EXCLUSION Criteria
- History of Hepatitis A-E (Even if it was deemed cured)
- Tested positive for COVID-19 within 5 days of death
- History of Intravenous Drug Abuse
- Open Wounds (Stage 4 bed sores, surgical wounds, and other miscellaneous wounds)
- Physical Trauma to the body at the time of death (Homicide, suicide, burns, etc.)
- HIV/AIDS
- Prion Diseases
- Organ Donation (EXCEPT for corneal donation)
- Severe Jaundice
- Significant Edema or Ascites
- Recent Radioactive Implants (Within 6 months)
- Exploratory Autopsy
- Body was in Medical Isolation
- Fungal or Bacterial Infections (including but not limited to staph, sepsis, E.coli, TB, respiratory infections, etc.)