How do you Donate your Whole Body to Science?

I occasionally get questions about various types of charitable donations.  The monetary charitable donations can easily be written into Wills or prepared in advance for the benefit of the organization.   But there are other things to give to charity besides money, which are not necessarily easily put into your will (with good reason).  One of those things is your body!     Besides organ donation, one can donate one’s full body to a medical program. 

There are two main full body donation programs in Minnesota.  The University of Minnesota has its Anatomy Bequest Program via its medical school.  Mayo Clinic’s Department of Anatomy in Rochester, Minnesota, also has an Anatomical Bequest program. 

The Process

The process in simple while you are alive, since nothing truly goes into affect until you die. Both institutions have forms online that you can fill out to start the gifting process.  (Those forms can be found here and here.)  It is important to let your desire to donate your body be known to the people who will be taking care of things after you die.  After that, nothing happens until you die.

Under Minnesota Law, a donor must be an adult, an emancipated minor, the agent of a donor (unless restricted under the donor’s health care directive or other record), or the parent or guardian of a donor.  The desire to donate can be indicated simply by filing out a form with one of the two organizations.  The desire to make anatomical gifts can also be indicated on one’s driver’s license or in one’s will (although if the will is not read until after the funeral, it may inhibit the gift).  If the donor is terminally ill or injured, any form of communication from the donor indicating a desire to make an anatomical gift must be witnessed by two adults, one of which is a disinterested party.


If you change your mind about wanting to make a donation, you will need to put that in writing and have it signed and witnessed by two adults.

What do they do with your body?

Once you die, you will be transported to the donation facility.  If you die in the state of Minnesota, the costs of transportation may be completely covered by the donation program.  If you die outside of the state of Minnesota, your estate or next of kin may need to pay to get your body transported to the program.  This can be facilitated by a funeral home.

After your body arrives at the program, it is prepared (possibly embalmed) and stored for use by students or other medical professionals.  Cadavers are often used in medical school anatomy classes, teaching surgical techniques, and research.  How long a body is used depends up on the program but can range from a few months to a year and a half or more.

What happens to my body when class is over?

Depending on the program, the remains are turned over to the family of the donor, either as a whole or in a cremated (or biocremated) state.  If there is no family or if the donor wishes, the programs do have final resting places for their donors.  Also, there is typically an annual memorial service for program donors.