And on Thursday, first-year medical students at the 麻豆原创 College of Medicine said a grateful good-bye to the 11 donors who had willed their bodies to science and education.
In a send-off ceremony that is a medical school tradition at the end of Anatomy Lab, the 60 M-1 students lit candles, presented white roses and spoke about the 鈥減recious souls鈥� who had not only taught them science, but also important lessons about life, death and giving back.
At first, 鈥渨e were frightened to meet you,鈥� said M-1 Omar Shakeel as he described the four-month Anatomy Lab. 鈥淭hen you began to teach us. You had the answers to our questions. We are grateful for the lessons we will have for the rest of our lives and will be used to save others one day.鈥�
In opening the ceremony, Class of 2014 President Robert Palmer asked classmates to 鈥渞emember the sacrifice these patients made for us.鈥� M-1 Social Chair Christina Hsu read a tribute written by a Connecticut medical school professor whose mother donated her body to science. The professor had mixed feelings about the donation but realized that her mother鈥檚 decision illustrated her love of education and science and her belief that a single person can make a difference. 鈥淪tudy me hard,鈥� the writer said her mother would tell young medical students.
Faculty members compared the send-off ceremony to how they had left Anatomy Lab years ago. There was no chance to reflect, no closure, no chance to express gratitude for the patient鈥檚 dedicated gift to helping others. Dr. Jim Sanders, who spoke for Anatomy Professor Andrew Payer, told of a young man dying of a brain tumor who donated his body to Dr. Payer鈥檚 medical school lab in Galveston, Texas. Dr. Payer talks frequently about the terminally ill young man and the message he wanted Dr. Payer to give to his medical students: 鈥淭ell them I鈥檓 a good guy and I hope they learn a lot from me.鈥�
Dr. Richard Peppler, associate dean for faculty and academic affairs, asked the medical students to remember that the donors were 鈥渇athers, mothers, sisters, brothers, aunts and uncles. Celebrate what they have contributed to your education.鈥�
As a permanent tribute to the donors, the Class of 2014 will place a brick in the future piazza at the College of Medicine. The brick will be inscribed with these words:聽 鈥淏eyond flesh, you are woven into the fabric of our future. Beyond words, your spirit is threaded through our lives.鈥�