Open discussion with your family
By: vlad
on Thursday, September 25th 2008 at 03:19:11 PM
Category: Getting started
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Discussing your desire to donate your body to science with your family is a critical first step. While there are only two consent forms that authorize the donation, only your family's acknowledgement and involvement can make the donation happen. We understand that this is a diffifult discussion to have and we offer our support whenever you feel you need it. If you or your family has a question or concern please reach out to us and we will do what we can to help.
Some things that support whole body donation that we have learned over the years that may help you in discussions with your family.
In 1994, the Journal of the American Medical Association predicted a surplus of 165,000 doctors by 2000. According to a Harvard University medical professor, David Blumenthal, author of a New England Journal of Medicine article on the doctor supply, "it didn't happen." The nation now has about 800,000 active physicians, up from 500,000 20 years ago. They've been kept busy by a growing population and new procedures ranging from heart stents to liposuction.
But unless more medical students begin training soon, the supply of physicians will begin to shrink in about 10 years when doctors from the baby boom generation retire in large numbers.
How does this relate to body donation?
*Consider this. In the United States today roughly 10,000 to 12,000 people per year donate their bodies to science. Most of these donations are to willed body programs at medical schools. Most of these donors will be used by first year medical students for anatomical instruction. The student will learn anatomy by dissecting the cadaver he/she has been assigned by his/her Anatomy professor. Their is and has always been a shortage of cadavers for the purposes of medical training. The advancement of medical science cannot persist without anatomical donations and many of today's procedures and technologies would never have been possible without anatomical donations. The future of medicine depends on not just anatomical study but on the research and continued education utilizing anatomical gifts. If we need more doctor's to help our aging population then do we not also need more body donor's to teach with, learn new procedures with and ultimately advance medicine with?
Our program supports the ongoing education of surgeons. Or, more appropriately, advanced surgical technique. Surgeons devise new techniques, new instrumentation and save lives through this type of research and education. Cadaver labs enable this in hospitals and medical schools every day in the US. By donating your body to science you can support these efforts to fight disease, improve lives and one day be a part of a legacy left by individuals who understood their greatest gift was themselves.
In short, an anatomical donation goes a long way to helping support medical science. Body donations help further studies for Cancer, Alzheimer's Disease, Parkinson's Disease, Heart Disease, Cervical and Uterine Cancer. And the list goes on and on. All of us in some way or another has been touched by the tragedy of a life cut short by disease or an unexplained death. The future of our health and that of our loved one's depends so greatly on affecting change. That change can happen by raising awareness. Now who wouldn't want to be a part of that?
www.lifequestanatomical.com
*Resources used for this article- USA Today.
[Tags:
anatomical donation body donation donate body to science cremation whole body donation medical research medical education ]
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