Donating your body

Some of us find it fascinating, others are not so keen, though most agree that medical students never forget their experience of the dissecting room. This unique opportunity to explore the anatomy of the human body leaves images that stick in your memory and strange smells that stick to your lab coat. So it is surprising that so few of us know anything about the processes involved in body donation.

The story begins while you are still alive. If I wanted to donate my body I would have to approach the London Anatomy Office, based at the Charing Cross Campus, Imperial College School of Medicine. The office deals with inquiries from people who are interested in donating their bodies for anatomical examination. Although donors are usually elderly, anyone over 17 years old can bequeath their body, so I am not too young. However, there are restrictions on who can donate. Louise Evans, who deals with inquiries from potential donors, said, “We get around …