The 30 most often asked questions about the Anatomical Gift Program

Answers to questions asked by many donors or family members of donors.

1. What purposes will my body serve?

This question cannot be answered directly without knowing our particular needs at a specific time. Frequently, donors provide the means by which medical students and nursing students learn human anatomy. In addition, resident physicians are accorded the opportunity to review anatomy that is specific to their areas of interest. Paramedics, emergency medical technicians, and care-flight personnel learn new, and practice known, procedures. Laser surgery techniques are taught. Physical and occupational therapists, massage therapists, and nurses renew their  knowledge of anatomy. Some donors serve to provide research data through magnetic resonance imaging techniques. Still others, facilitate the development of new surgical procedures for such things as minimally invasive hip and knee replacements.

2. Is there a fee for donating my body to the Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine?

There is never a fee of any kind. The program is currently open to residents of the State of Ohio. For registrants in the program, the Boonshoft School of Medicine at Wright State University assumes the costs of removal of the body to the medical school from anywhere in the state of Ohio. Additionally, costs for embalming, cremation, and interment within the University cemetery are borne by the Boonshoft School of Medicine.

3. Will I receive money for my participation in the program? 

It is against the law to pay for an anatomical gift. No money can ever be paid to a donor.

4. May I withdraw from the program at any time?

Yes. Simply send us a letter notifying us of your decision and we will remove your name from our records and send you a letter to confirm that action.

5. Is my body acceptable for donation if I have a serious disease at the time of death or if any of my organs has been removed?

There is no way for you to know, at the time of your donation, whether you will someday have an organ or organs surgically removed or that you may suffer from a serious disease prior to your death. These circumstances will not make your donation invalid.

6. Can my body be donated following an autopsy?

As a rule, bodies are not suitable for educational or scientific purposes following an autopsy. However, each case is decided individually, with the decision depending on such things as the extent of the autopsy and the condition of the body. The program director reserves the right to make this decision. If an autopsy is required of a registrant in the program, and this is at the coroner’s direction, the Boonshoft School of Medicine will still accept the remains.

7.  Must an attorney become involved for me to make a gift of my body?

It is not necessary to retain legal counsel to complete your consent forms. Furthermore, it is not necessary to write an anatomical gift into your will.  

8. Who may act as the required witness to my donation?

Anyone of sound mind who is at least 18 years of age may witness your consent forms. The law requires that two persons witness your consent to donate. Failure to obtain two witnesses will compromise your donation and may result in our refusal to accept your remains at the time of death.

9. What procedure should be followed if I should expire at home?

In the event of a death at home, the first person to be notified should be the physician who attended the deceased. If the physician cannot be reached, notify the coroner’s office in the county in which death occurred or the local police department. After the body is released by the coroner or the police officer, a call should be placed to the Boonshoft School of Medicine at (937) 775-3066 (during business hours) or (937) 775-2304 (after business hours.) We will make appropriate arrangements for the removal.

10. What procedure should be followed if I expire in a hospital or nursing home?

The personnel in the hospital or nursing home will notify the appropriate  legal authorities and then the Boonshoft School of Medicine. Call (937) 775-3066  during business hours or (937) 775-2304 after business hours and we will make appropriate arrangements for the removal.

11.  What happens to my body if I am killed in an accident?

In the event of a fatal accident, it is likely that the coroner will order an autopsy. As a rule, bodies are not suitable for educational or scientific purposes following an autopsy. Once again, if the autopsy is mandated by the coroner, we will still accept the remains of registered donors.

12. Is a funeral or memorial service permitted for a donor?

Yes. It is strongly suggested that the service take the form of a memorial service without the presence of the deceased. Any expense incurred for a memorial or funeral service must be borne by the survivors of the donor and will not be the responsibility of the Boonshoft School of Medicine or the Anatomical Gift Program. In the event that a close family member lives out of town and cannot return prior to removal of the deceased to the Boonshoft School of Medicine, we will make arrangements for the out-of-town survivors to view the remains at the Boonshoft School of Medicine if we are notified in advance. Remains will be held for a maximum of two days.

13. Who will take my body to the Boonshoft School of Medicine?

Upon being notified that the body of the deceased has been released, we will dispatch a professional funeral livery service to remove the remains to the Boonshoft School of Medicine. Removal occurs as quickly as the funeral service professionals can travel to the location of the deceased.

14. Who is responsible for filing the death certificate?

The Boonshoft School of Medicine will file the death certificate with the Department of Vital Statistics in the county in which the death takes place. This occurs as soon as the signed certificate is returned to us by the coroner of attending physician.  

15. How do my survivors obtain certified copies of my death certificate?

For purposes of settling an estate, survivors must obtain certified copies of the death certificate from the Department of Vital Statistics of the county in which death takes place. By law, the Boonshoft School of Medicine is not permitted to provide certified copies.

16. How long will my body remain at Wright State?

Donors may remain at Wright State University for as little as a few months or as long as three years. If there is something about a particular donor which is of special educational interest or research value, that donor may be retained for a longer period. The remains of other donors may serve immediate needs.

17. Where will my body be studied?

The remains of many donors who come to Wright State are studied on the campus or in one of our affiliated hospitals. However, other medical facilities have needs that they cannot accommodate with their own programs. In these instances, we supplement their requirements on a temporary basis by releasing some of our donors to these institutions. We require that all donors be returned to Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine for cremation and final disposition.

18. What happens in the event a registered donor dies in a state other than Ohio?

If a donor expires in a nearby state, we will still make the removal from that location. Should a donor pass away in a distant state, we should be notified of the death and we will make arrangements for the transport of the donor to Dayton, Ohio. Embalming may be required in the event of an out-of-state death. If this eventuates, the donor’s family is responsible for embalming fees and transportation costs back to the state of Ohio. Once in Dayton, the remains will be accepted and transported to the Boonshoft School of Medicine. An alternative solution to the problem of an out-of-state death is to transfer the donation to a medical school in the city/area in which death occurred. The Boonshoft School of Medicine will assist with those arrangements.

19. What happens to my donation if I move to another city or state?

Should you move to another city or state and wish to remain in our program, you should notify us so that we can update your records. If you desire, we will make arrangements to transfer your gift to a medical school nearer your new residence. If you wish to remain in our program, your estate will be expected to pay necessary transportation and embalming costs.

20. Can I donate someone else’s body such as that of my spouse?

There are circumstances under which this can be done but you must wait until the person in question expires. Only after death may the nearest living next-of-kin make a gift of someone else’s remains.

21. Are the bodies of fetuses, infants and children acceptable for donation?

These gifts may be made by the parents of minor children. Acceptance of the remains is dependent on the determination that such a gift would aid in research or teaching. 

22.  What happens to my body following educational or research studies are completed?

Subsequent to anatomical studies, each donor is cremated individually by a professional cremation service in Dayton, Ohio. This service is not affiliated with Wright State University. The cremated remains (cremains) are returned to Wright State University and the person whom you designate on your consent forms is notified by certified mail of your cremation. Your survivors then inform us whether they prefer to have your cremains returned to them, to a cemetery or mausoleum, or interred in the Rockafield Cemetery at Wright State University.  

23. Who pays for my cremation?

Wright State University assumes all costs for cremation of donors in our program. This includes transportation to the crematory as well as return of the cremains to the survivors.

24.  What happens to my cremated remains if my survivors do not wish to have them returned?

If your survivors do not wish to have your cremains returned, the cremains will be interred, at our expense, in the Rockafield Cemetery on the campus of Wright State University. This will occur during one of our annual Memorial/Interment Services. Families and friends of our donors are invited to this service which is usually held around the middle of October.

25. May my cremated remains (ashes) be scattered anywhere?

There are many local regulations regarding the burial or scattering of cremains. Specific questions should be addressed to your local health department.

26. May my survivors visit the cemetery at Wright State University?

The cemetery area on the campus is accessible to everyone at all times. Small vases are provided adjacent to the black, granite monument for those who wish to leave flowers. Interment sites are marked with bronze plaques bearing the year of interment. Gravesite decorations must be limited to floral arrangements. The cemetery groundskeepers will immediately remove other items which encourage cemetery destruction by forest wildlife.

27. How and where will my name be recorded for posterity?

The names of all donors, whether interred in the Rockafield Cemetery or not, are recorded in a leather-bound volumes which are housed, and may be examined, in the Special Collections Room of the Fordham Library in the Boonshoft School of Medicine.

Memorial bricks may be purchased for $25.00 by contacting the office of the Anatomical Gift Program and requesting the appropriate forms. The bricks will be installed in the walkway in Rockafield Cemetery on the WSU campus and will bear the donors name, year of birth, and year of death. Purchase of the bricks is, of course, optional. For more information, please call 937-775-3066. Names of donors for whom bricks have been purchased are recorded in a locator display case at the entrance to the Rockafield Cemetery. 

28. Who is responsible for writing and placing my obituary in the newspaper?

The survivors of the donor must assume the responsibility for placing the obituary in the newspaper. The staff of the newspaper will assist you in preparing the notice. The obituary may be a brief notice which may be placed without charge or a detailed biography placed in the Classified Section. Charges for the latter must be borne by the survivors.

29. May financial contributions be made to the Anatomical Gift Program to memorialize participants in the program?

Though not solicited, such monies are regularly forthcoming and are gratefully accepted. Unless specifically designated, such funds are used to support educational and research activities with which the Boonshoft School of Medicine is associated.

30. May survivors obtain a report detailing anatomical findings in the donors?

We have neither the funds nor the personnel to complete and make available written anatomic reports for any of our donors. Medical reports and information about the donors must be obtained from the donor’s physician.

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