Body donation for medical education and research – How can I donate my body to science?

An essential contribution to medicine and the advancement of science

Introduction / Background

Medical education requires a thorough, rigorous and practical understanding of human anatomy. This knowledge is essential for safe clinical practice, enabling more accurate diagnoses, more effective interventions and improved patient care.

The direct study of the human body remains an irreplaceable component of the education and training of doctors and other healthcare professionals.

In Portugal, body donation for teaching and scientific research purposes is regulated by Decree-Law No. 274/99 of 22 July. Católica Medical School ensures full compliance with this legal framework, promoting rigorous, ethical education centred on human dignity.

Program

The teaching of Anatomy plays an unquestionably important role in the education and training of medical students, and its study relies on a thorough understanding of the human body. By donating their bodies, donors enable medical students to gain deeper and more comprehensive knowledge of the human body, equipping them with skills that will ultimately be reflected in the care they provide to living patients.

It is therefore important to remember that the teaching of Anatomy depends on the altruism and generosity of individuals who donate their bodies to science, allowing students and healthcare professionals to develop knowledge and skills that can only be acquired through the in-depth study of the human body.

Universidade Católica Portuguesa is deeply grateful to all those who, through an extraordinary act of generosity, choose to donate their bodies to science and medical education. The decision to donate one’s body to education should be regarded as an invaluable contribution to the advancement and consolidation of the Life Sciences and, as such, an act of profound civic generosity.

Academia and Education

Católica Medical School actively collaborates with other academic and scientific institutions, promoting:

• Inter-institutional partnerships
• Scientific and academic events
• Conferences on medical education
• Collaborative research projects

Head of Donation Office: Luís Mascarenhas

Institutional testimony

“Body donation to science is an act of immense generosity towards those who are learning, as well as towards society as a whole. Those who choose to donate their bodies make it possible to train those who will one day care for the most vulnerable and for those most in need. Our gratitude is immeasurable.”

— António Medina de Almeida, Dean of Católica Medical School

“Training in anatomy is an essential foundation of medical practice. This process is carried out with the highest respect, rigour and sense of responsibility, honouring the contribution of each donor.”

— Luís Mascarenhas, Head of the Body Donation Programme at Católica Medical School and Coordinator of the Department of Anatomy