While we appreciate all decisions to donate, unfortunately, there are certain circumstances in which one’s physical form may be deemed ineligible for the program. Please discuss alternate plans with your family, in the event that we cannot accept the gift of your body at the time of your death.
Anatomical Gift Program
About the Program
Please reach out with any questions you may have about the program.
Your Gift to Brown
The decision to donate your body to further medical education is not an easy one and may not be the right decision for you. To have concerns and some hesitancy is normal and understandable. There is no formula for how to arrive at your decision, but you may be sure that if you choose to consent to donation, your choice will be graciously welcomed by the students, who aim to better the lives of others, in need of their first teacher - the person that bestows upon them the ultimate gift of their physical form.
Every donation to the anatomical gift program makes a significant impact on the training and education of an entire class of medical students.
Alternate Arrangements
Ceremony of Gratitude
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At the start and end of each academic year, the first-year medical students hold a ceremony to honor the donors. The ceremony at the start of the year addresses the difficulty that students may have interacting with your donation and encourages students to learn in honor of the life before them. At the end of the year, a ceremony of thanks and celebration is held, to which all donor families are invited. Students will honor the memory of the donor and celebrate the essential contribution they made to their medical education. This event is often graced by the musical and written talents of The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University students who aim to express their gratitude to the families of those who made the most gracious donation. Donor families are invited and encouraged to attend.
To learn more about the Ceremony of Gratitude, explore the articles from News at Brown and The New York Times about the annual event.
Ceremony of Gratitude: News Stories
The New York Times
Honoring the body donors who are a medical student's first patient
Gratitude ceremonies give students and faculty members a chance to recognize the sacrifice of those who gave their bodies for medical research and education, and the loved ones they left behind.
June 9, 2022
News from Brown
In poignant tradition, medical and health students honor anatomy donors and their families
Each year, the Ceremony of Gratitude at the Warren Alpert Medical School pays tribute to the lives and generosity of those who volunteered to donate their bodies to enable medical education and research.
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Please reach out with any questions you may have about the program.