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OUWB, Pixley Funeral Homes to unveil mausoleum for body donors
Partnership between the medical school, Pixley Funeral Homes and the City of Rochester will support vital learning opportunities for medical students
October 24, 2022Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine (OUWB) and the Pixley Funeral Homes of Rochester will unveil the OUWB Mausoleum and Receiving Vault at Mount Avon Cemetery in Rochester during a ribbon-cutting ceremony beginning at 5 p.m. on Friday, October 28.
Pixley Funeral Homes is partnering with the City of Rochester to present the vault, which will be the final resting place for those who generously donated their bodies to medical education through the OUWB Body Donor Program. The mausoleum will be home to approximately 5,000 urns.
“This partnership means that we can give medical students the opportunity for valuable research, while ensuring that body donors are interred with the absolute most compassionate care.”
“We are grateful to the Pixley family for partnering with us to support our medical student education, research, and the university,” President Pescovitz, said. “This heartfelt gift-in-kind will impact our medical students and students studying other professions such as physical therapy, or biological engineering.”
Vern Pixley, Dignity Memorial Senior Managing Director, Central Business Unit, added, “This partnership means that we can give medical students the opportunity for valuable research, while ensuring that body donors are interred with the absolute most compassionate care.”
OUWB medical students learn body structure and receive a more humanistic education when they have a body donor to study. In their dissection teams, they stay with the same donor throughout the entire Foundational Anatomy Course. When the course concludes, a memorial service is hosted by the medical students and the OU physical therapy students to honor the donors. The students write poems, reflections, and dedicate songs at the ceremony.
“Our students recognize that these donors are their first patients, and treat them with great respect and reverence,” said Duane Mezwa, M.D., Stephan Sharf Dean, OUWB “They understand the significance of the gift they’ve been entrusted with.”
Having its own program will enable OUWB to collect the medical history of the donor, which will aid in the overall educational experience for students. Those interested in learning more about the program should contact [email protected] or (248) 370-3457.