The Otago School of Medical Sciences, like many other
medical schools around the world, relies on the generosity of
its body donors for teaching and researching human anatomy.
What kind of person decides to become a body donor? Does such
an individual belong to a particular group or do they come
from all walks of life? And what do these altruistic
individuals have in common with each other?
Finding out these answers is not only important for
understanding who it is that contributes to our anatomy
teaching and research but should also give us clues about how
best to sustain a successful body donation programme.
This is particularly important at a time when many medical
schools are struggling to recruit enough body donors and, as
a result, have in some cases even abandoned human dissection
as an aid to learning and researching anatomy.
The University of Otago has a proud tradition of offering its
medical, dental, and science students the opportunity to
learn anatomy from human dissection. But it's not just these
groups who benefit.
More senior health professionals such as surgeons and
physiotherapists also use this invaluable resource to advance
their understanding of anatomy.
In addition, the Department of Anatomy and Structural Biology
runs a busy anatomical research programme; current
investigations include topics such as joint structure, muscle
function, and bile duct anatomy.
This multi-centre, international study of body donors being
coordinated by Dr. Jon Cornwall and Prof. Mark Stringer
involves the Otago School of Medical Sciences, as well as
medical schools in South Africa and Ireland.
All new body donors registering in 2010 are being invited to
comment on their ethnic, socioeconomic, occupational,
educational, political, and social backgrounds.
Donors are also being asked about the reasons behind their
decision to donate their body, and with whom they discussed
their decision.
The study is being funded by a research grant from the
University of Otago, and the researchers hope to have the
results available by early 2011.
Dr Jon Cornwall & Professor Mark Stringer
Department of Anatomy & Structural Biology
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