By law, bodies cannot be sold, although groups like the association can be paid for processing. Member med schools pay about $1,300 per cadaver; nonmembers pay $2,300.
Source: Crain’s, via Tyler Cowen.
8 thoughts on “Why Do You Think There Is A Shortage of Cadavers?”
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This is crazy! Shortage of physicians, fine. Shortage of medical supplies (tools), we’ve heard that too. But shortage of cadavers?! Geez! I had never EVER heard of such business. And got to say that the name “Anatomical Gift Association” certainly gives the word “gift” a whole other meaning. Good for the medical students who get to use these cadavers for their medical training. However, I’m not sure how to feel about the concept behind this association. Strange.
“Whether or not we’re a nonprofit, we’re still a business,” he says. “And like any business, you grow and adapt and evolve, or you disappear.” Very true. You’ve got to give him props for making a business out of this and doing what it takes to keep his business evolving. At the end of the day, somebody has got to do this if we want future doctors to acquire the proper training before treating patients and to also study the human anatomy in more detail. Very interesting post!
“Member med schools pay about $1,300 per cadaver; nonmembers pay $2,300.”
-Sounds expensive for a cadaver.
This seems, in a way, like a good problem to have.
It’s encouraging that increases in organ donation are a factor in the limited availability of cadavers.
I wonder if cadaver shops like these push for stronger gun control…
This is Chicago after all.
It is interesting that the Arabic medical schools are finally overcoming the social and religious taboo associated with handling a dead body. Many great advancements to medical science were made when European doctors were finally allowed to study human corpses.
Ignore Mandy, she’s just here to sell stuff.
I would think that every person who plans to cremate their body upon death would be a good candidate to donate their body to science with the condition that the collected parts (not used for surgery) be returned after the medical school is through with them. Granted, this sounds a little cumbersome, but considering the cost of body parts and cadavers, it would still be cheaper. But, since it’s against the law to compensate family for organ donations, we have a shortage.