How to Donate Your Body to a Medical School in Utah

Medical schools use human cadavers to educate future doctors on anatomy and surgical procedures. They procure cadavers from a variety of sources, including private donors. The University of Utah Medical School has an established body donor program. To bequeath your body to the university, you must be at least 18 years of age or married. The University will accept most bodies, except for those that have suffered a serious accident, have a contagious disease, or have other conditions that make them unsuitable for study.

Instructions

• 1

  Notify your family of your intent to donate your body. If necessary, include your intent in your will.

• 2

  Obtain a donor authorization form from the University of Utah's Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy.

• 3

  Complete and sign the form in the presence of a witness or a notary public. Include the name of the family member who should receive your remains once the medical school has finished with your body. Your remains will be cremated.

• 4

  Make a copy of the form for your personal records and send the original form back to the Department of Neurology and Anatomy at the university. The school will send you a donor card for you to carry in your wallet.