Why Donate?
Many branches of medicine benefit from the use of human cadavers for study. Most significantly, bodies are used for the study of anatomy – the structure of the human body. Detailed study of the human body in medical schools is an indispensable part of the medical curriculum and is considered the foundation of medical education. This education extends beyond physicians to include dentists and other health professionals such as nurses and physical therapists. The need for human body donations continues to grow as medical science has progressed.

Anatomical gifts also are used outside the medical student classroom. Whole body donations have already provided opportunities for great progress in surgical instrumentation design. Additionally, significant reductions in the duration of operations, greater accuracy, as well as less invasive operations have allowed for speedy recovery and reduced chances of infection.

While donating one’s body to medical science aids the medical community, this donation also aids the family and friends one leaves behind in the community. Those medical professionals who study anatomy with the aid of donated bodies are the same medical professionals who live and work in the community to care for its residents. Since its founding in 1918, the AGA has received more than 46,000 donations, helping to train more than 70,000 physicians and allied healthcare professionals.

Beyond these benefits, the donation of one's body to medical science provides a financial incentive. It allows the family or estate to limit funeral and burial expenses. While the family or estate is expected to assume all obligations and expenses of transporting the deceased to the AGA facility, the costs can be treated as an expense to the estate.  The AGA assumes all other expenses including cremation.

No matter what the reason for choosing to make an anatomical donation, the gift allows individuals to leave a legacy.