Though they may not attend UF, medical students around the state depend on UF's College of Medicine to further their learning and understanding of the human body. UF's Health Science Center is one of two facilities in the state with the capability to properly embalm and store donated bodies for educational use. This much needed service provides bodies donated through the Anatomical Board of the State of Florida for medical students and physicians to further their knowledge of human anatomy. Without it we couldn't have the quality physicians we have.
Body donation can be an emotional decision but a much needed service for medical training.
About 500 bodies are donated a year from the state's pool of about 23,000 donors. We will return the cremated remains to the family, so they can have some closure. Some families will then have a memorial ceremony for the person. The center, which does not receive any financial support from the state, can accept almost any body, unless the donor died in an accident with crushing injuries, had an autopsy performed or had a highly contagious disease such as AIDS or hepatitis. Aside from these diseases, illness before death does not affect the use of a body, Romrell said.