Rhode Island is home to teaching hospitals, medical schools, and research institutions that train physicians who go on to practice throughout the region. Educating medical students, training surgeons, and researching diseases rely on families who make the decision to donate a body after death. When donating one’s body to science, you are making an important […]
In 2025, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) awarded $241 million in grants and contracts to 19 Rhode Island organizations in 2025, Brown being the largest at $132 million. The research and studies being done are advancing healthcare knowledge in new ways and also helping to educate medical students and train surgeons. There’s a high […]
For the first time, enrollment in U.S. medical schools exceeded 100,000 students in the 2025–2026 school year, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC). That’s good news, as the National Center for Health Workforce Analysis projects a shortage of more than 140,000 physicians by 2038 despite medical student graduations. Nearly every one of […]
More than 1,850 institutions worldwide use human bodies for medical education and research. Despite advances in imaging, modeling, and simulations, anatomical donations are still critical to surgical training, anatomy education, and research. These programs train the next generation of doctors and lead to innovative treatments that improve the quality of care. Body donations in 2025 […]
Donating your body to science represents one of the most meaningful contributions you can make to medical education and scientific research, enabling medical students to study human anatomy, surgeons to train on life-saving skills, and researchers to advance our understanding of diseases. If you’re considering how to donate your body to science, you could be […]
The Uniform Anatomical Gift Act (UAGA) provides the legal framework for body donation, organ donation, and how anatomical gifts are used. While a federal act, each state in New England has adopted the UAGA, the legal framework that governs anatomical gifts throughout the region. Some New England states have adopted additional measures that augment the […]
If you plan to participate in a body donor program in New England, which one you pick is important. Not all anatomical gift programs work the same way, and understanding your options can help you make a choice that aligns with your values. We’ll explain how body donation programs work, what to look for when […]
Body donation is a noble goal, but many New England families don’t understand the process for a body donation after death. It’s natural to have questions about exactly what happens when you donate your body to science, like: We find that once families understand how body donation after death works, they are more open to […]
For hundreds of years, families have held traditional funerals and burials. However, as costs continue to rise, more New Hampshire families now choose cremation. According to the Cremation Society of New Hampshire, more than three-quarters of the state’s residents now choose cremation. While some families do prefer a simpler arrangement, cost is still a factor. […]
Despite its size, New Hampshire ranked first in the nation for overall healthcare quality, according to WalletHub, and second when it comes to costs. That’s good news for NH residents, but high-quality healthcare outcomes do not happen by chance. They are the result of strong medical education programs, medical research, and ongoing investment in training […]
More than 170 million people are registered as organ donors nationally. It’s a noble goal, allowing for life-saving transplants. Out of those registered, however, just three out of every 1,000 people die in a circumstance that allows for organ transplants. By comparison, whole-body donation is far less well-known. One study estimated that only about 26,000 […]
When a loved one is nearing the end of life, there are decisions to be made about how you plan to honor family members, what arrangements are required, the costs involved, and questions about a deeper meaning. For many families, this is a time of reflection, thinking about the lives of loved ones and how […]
Across Connecticut, more families are questioning whether traditional end-of-life arrangements still make sense financially. Funeral and cremation costs in the Northeast are among the highest in the nation and rising at about 4% a year. At the same time, many families are dealing with financial stress. In Connecticut alone, more than half a million families […]
With today’s rapid advances in medical technology, you might think that digital tools have replaced the need for hands-on anatomical study. High-resolution imaging, virtual simulations, and 3D modeling all play an important role in medical education. Yet despite these innovations, medical body donation is still fundamental to how physicians are trained and how healthcare continues […]
The U.S. faces a projected shortage of 13,500 to 86,000 physicians by 2036, with surgeons making up nearly three-quarters of the shortfall. Body donations are more important than ever to train the next generation of surgeons. Hands-on anatomical education is a critical part of surgical training, allowing physicians to develop the skills, precision, and judgment […]
When a loved one passes, there are difficult emotional and financial decision you have to make. Cremation is now the most common choice, but even simple cremation services can cost thousands of dollars. An alternative that offers free cremation is body donation in Connecticut. When you donate a body to science in Connecticut with United […]
In 2025, the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School received a $35 million donation to support its New Education and Research Building. This facility houses more than 70 principal investigators who utilize anatomical gifts to study neurodegenerative diseases like ALS and other conditions. This is just one example of how anatomical donation plays a significant […]
Boston is widely regarded as one of the most influential and largest medical and life sciences hubs in the world. The city is home to globally recognized teaching hospitals, research institutions, and medical schools, collectively driving innovation in patient care, biomedical research, and physician training. Boston-area hospitals consistently rank among the top recipients of National […]
“Death can take a massive toll on individuals and families, costing them not only many thousands of dollars for the funeral, the legal fees, and so on, but also a huge expenditure of time to deal with all of the arrangements and logistics involved.” — Empathy CEO Ron Gura in Hospice News Families are forced to […]
Choosing to donate your body to medical science is a deeply personal decision. If you’re doing some research, you may encounter terms like a willed body program (also referred to as an anatomy bequest program), or a body donation program. Each supports medical education and research, but there are some important differences. What Is a […]