About the Program
The human tissue laboratory gives residents, the backbone of our health care work force, the opportunity to study the arts and signs of anatomy in a controlled situation so they can faciliate their learning and thus become better surgeons. The opportunity for the surgical residents to have this type of facility further enhances the training programs at Duke, which are among the best in the country.
Dr. L. Scott Levin
Chief, Division of Plastic, Reconstructive, Maxillofacial and Oral Surgery
Chief, Division of Plastic, Reconstructive, Maxillofacial and Oral Surgery
Duke University Medical Center
| About the Program |
| Mission | Surgical Training and Research | Medical Student Anatomy Letters of Appreciation |
The Mission of the Anatomical Gifts Program
Duke's Anatomical Gifts Program accepts whole body donations for use in the advancement of medical knowledge.
Education
Working with cadavers teaches students things about the human body that cannot be learned from books or from images on a computer screen.
Basic human anatomy is taught not only to medical students but also to students in the physical therapy, physician associates, and pathology assistants programs at Duke. To learn more, visit the Medical Student Anatomy Lab page.
If you would like to read some comments and reflections from our students, visit the Letters of Appreciation from Students page.
Developing new techniques
Some bodies donated to the Program are used by surgical residents, fellows, and Duke faculty, as well as biomechanical researchers. They practice surgical techniques, study specific regions of the body in detail, and develop new medical and surgical techniques. To learn more, visit the Surgical Training and Research Lab page.
Other uses
Regardless of how they are used, the Anatomical Gifts Program retains control of all bodies it receives and is responsible for and committed to their respectful maintenance and use.
Our commitment
All of the members of the Duke Anatomical Gifts Program are committed to working closely with donor families to ensure that each donation proceeds smoothly, that the donation is accepted in a thoughtful and respectful manner, and that the wishes of the departed and his or her family are honored whenever possible.
Each year we hold a memorial service to honor our donors and to give students and faculty an opportunity to express their profound gratitude to donor families. In the spring of 1999, we honored our donors with a memorial site in the Sarah P. Duke Gardens. We view donation as the ultimate contribution an individual can make to advancing medical knowledge. We hold every donor and every donor family in the highest esteem.
