The University of Missouri School of Medicine community recently gathered inside the Patient-Centered Care Learning Center for its annual Gift of Body ceremony.
Through the program, individuals generously donate their bodies to Mizzou’s medical school to provide integral education to students and assist future healthcare professionals.
Donated bodies are used for educational purposes for students training in the medical, physical therapy and athletic training professions. They’re also utilized in undergraduate anatomy courses, and by physicians and researchers who are involved in tailored studies to advance their educational and basic science research.
Each summer, family members of individuals who donate their bodies to the Gift of Body program attend the ceremony. Mizzou School of Medicine students, faculty and staff are also in attendance to honor that gift and express their gratitude in-person.
Kevin Flaherty, PhD, assistant professor of pathology and anatomical sciences, serves as the Gift of Body program director. In his role, Flaherty coordinates and monitors the use of the donors’ bodies in medical school, physical therapy and undergraduate courses.
“The Gift of Body ceremony gives us an opportunity each year to show our immense gratitude for those truly selfless people who chose to donate their bodies to our program to enrich the education of our students,” said Flaherty. “We think of it as our chance to show the family members of our donors both how much this gift mattered and how eager our students are to reinvest the lessons our donors taught them into the health of the communities that they will serve.”
Morgan Smith and Missy Pinkel served as featured speakers at this year’s ceremony. Pinkel, owner of Studio M Publishing, LLC, saw both her mother and father generously donate their bodies to a medical school’s Gift of Body program.
Behind a lifetime of philanthropy, Pinkel’s mother, Jan, will help impact the future of medical education at the Mizzou School of Medicine.
“The Gift of Body program is crucial in education, helping a variety of students advance their knowledge that can't come strictly from a book,” said Pinkel. “It helps us learn about the adaptations our bodies might be experiencing in today's harsh environment. Furthermore, and prayerfully, it might help the medical field find answers to some of the cruelest diseases.”
Smith, a first-year physical therapy student in Mizzou’s College of Health Sciences Doctor of Physical Therapy Program, gained appreciation for the Gift of Body program following valuable experiences in anatomy courses.
Both as an undergraduate student and later as a teaching assistant for Sean Greer, PhD, and his anatomy lab, Smith saw firsthand the impact these generous donors made towards students’ education.
“In my interactions, I grew to understand that I wasn’t simply studying anatomical structures, rather I was learning from someone who generously gave their body so future healthcare professionals could effectively learn,” said Smith. “Educating from a Gift of Body donor also taught us compassion and offers a raw, authentic experience of humanism that cannot be replicated from a textbook.”
For future Mizzou School of Medicine classes that will learn from these generous donors, Smith encourages students to take the time to appreciate the person behind the anatomy.
“I urge everyone to approach the experience with an open mind, humility and gratitude,” said Smith. “With time, the experience becomes less about yourself and more about the incredible opportunity it is to learn from someone who gave so much to your education. Remember that the donor is giving you an experience that will shape not only your understanding of anatomy, but also the compassion, respect and humanism you’ll need in your future career.”
