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School of Medicine Columbia

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    GOB Impact

    Hit play to learn about the impact left by the gifts of our donors.

Gift of Body

Housed in the Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, the Gift of Body Program is for individuals wishing to participate in the noble and time-honored practice of donating their bodies to advance scientific discovery after their death.

2025 Gift of Body Memorial Service

Plans are currently being made for the spring of 2025 for the Gift of Body Memorial Service. Please revisit our page in the coming weeks for service details.

Click HERE to view the 2024 Gift of Body Memorial Service that was held Saturday, April 13, 2024, at Bible Way Church on 2440 Atlas Rd. Columbia, SC, 29209.

The purpose of this brief, non-denominational, memorial service is to enable our students to pay their final respects and show their appreciation for the great service which their first patients provided.

You may also watch a live stream of the service on the Bible Way Church streaming page which will be provided in a link at a later date.


Gift of Body Program

Our GOB program began in the 1970's as our medical school began the process of training health professionals to serve the people of South Carolina.

We are proud to say that the citizens of our state have been very generous contributors; with a current database of approximately 4,000 (future) donors, the Gift of Body Program has far exceeded our original expectations. The cadavers obtained through the program are utilized mainly by first-year medical and graduate students at the School of Medicine for clinical educational purposes.

Our donors are treated with the utmost respect, and then cremated and interred at the Donor Memorial Garden. Enrollment in the basic program allows for return of the donor ashes (upon request) at the end of the study period.

Why Should I Enroll

Your participation in our GOB program helps enhance our medical and graduate students’ education by providing them the hands-on clinical experience they need to enrich their skills and improve future patient outcomes. You can learn more about our GOB program through our frequently asked questions.

How Do I Sign Up

We are currently accepting donor applications from those individuals that reside within the state of South Carolina. If you're interested in donating, you may download the donor registration packet and the instruction packet or contact us to have it sent to you. Please note that the forms must be completed and sent to us directly for a donor to be registered with our GOB program.

Donor Registration

Please download and read both links listed below.

Frequently Asked Questions

Please read through our FAQs Sheet [pdf] to find answers to any questions you may have about the Gift of Body program.


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