Willed Body Program

JABSOM Willed Body Program reopens acceptance of donated bodies and new enrollment

willed body ceremony with group playing bag pipesAfter a seven-month pause, the Willed Body Program of the University of Hawaiʻi John A. Burns School of Medicine is once again accepting body donations. The acceptance of Anatomical Gift Donation forms for new enrollment will also resume, but applications will be reviewed in the order they were received. We thank you in advance for your patience as we process applications.

As each anatomical donation contributes directly to new understandings, each donor is greatly appreciated. Each gift is valued and honored. Students and staff treat each donor with the utmost respect and dignity. In July 2023, due to an abundance of donations, the program that provides educational and scientific study for our students and doctors had to be paused.

We wholeheartedly apologize for any inconvenience that this may have caused for the families of our donors. Since its inception in 1968, the support from our community to the Willed Body Program has been tremendous. We are deeply grateful to all donors who ensure JABSOM’s mission of attaining lasting optimal health for all continues.

For information on how to make a donation, please see our website: https://jabsom.hawaii.edu/about/philanthropy/willed-body/index.html

Our contact information is listed at the bottom of this page. We kindly ask for your patience as we return calls/emails due to an influx of inquiries.

The University of Hawai‘i Willed Body Program

willed body leis and ashesThe Importance of Body Donation
Anatomy is the study of the structure and function of the human body. It is one of the most important courses in the education of physicians, therapists and all other health care professions. The study of anatomy comes early in the medical curriculum and serves as the foundation for other courses. In addition, physicians in residency training and those in practice often pursue special courses in anatomy to enhance their skills and learn new techniques. Body donation plays a critical role in helping medical and health-related science students to master the complex anatomy of the human body and provides researchers with an essential tool for discoveries to help patients.

willed body flower offeringThe Willed Body Program
The Body Donation Program at the University of Hawaiʻi, John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM), is committed to excellence in research and education. While the primary focus of the Willed Body Program is to obtain the human cadaver for educational and scientific study, we strive to administer our program in a way consistent with the spirit of the good physician. In our contact with donors registering with the Willed Body Program or with the families of the donor we provide service that is compassionate as well as competent. Anatomical donations are greatly appreciated. Each contributes directly to new understandings. The need is great, and each gift is valued and honored. Students and staff treat each donor with the utmost respect and dignity.

Each year, to show their appreciation to the donors and their families, medical students and staff participate in a Memorial Service to honor these “silent teachers”.

Contact Information:

University of Hawaiʻi
Dept. of Anatomy, Biochemistry and Physiology Willed Body Program
651 Ilalo Street, BSB 119B
Honolulu, HI 96813
Phone: 808-692-1445
E-mail: wbdonor@hawaii.edu