Mayo Clinic Convocation of Thanks 2022

Ashleigh E. Skaalen, Body Donation Program, Mayo Clinic: Hello and welcome to Mayo Clinic's Convocation of Thanks. My name is Ashleigh Skaalen, and I am one of the donor coordinators here at Mayo Clinic's Body Donation Program. I want to thank you all for joining us to recognize and appreciate the generous gift that all of your loved ones gave to Mayo Clinic in order to assist in the educational and research mission.

This service is truly dedicated to those who in death have served the living. Each of our donors by their final compassionate gift, have participated in a great humanitarian and educational endeavor. Each had the courage and the concern for the future, which motivated them to become great humanitarians who have so valuably assisted in our teaching and research programs.

We honor their memory and acknowledge their generosity today. Because of their gift, hundreds of students in the Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine and the Mayo Clinic Health Sciences programs have been able to learn the intricate details of the human body through a very special study of these donors. As you listen to the students today, I hope you will appreciate how your loved ones generosity will eternally benefit humankind. This benefit stems not only through the quality of health care they will provide to their patients, but also the quality of education they will provide to their students that will eventually succeed them.

In addition to the education of our medical and health science students, there are many physicians and residents who have benefited tremendously as well. This is accomplished through focused educational programs that serve to enhance the practice of medicine.

I would now like to introduce some of our team members. Dr. Nirusha Lachman is a professor of anatomy and the chair of the Clinical Anatomy Department. Dr. Sebastian Cotofana is a professor of anatomy and the medical director of the Clinical Anatomy Lab and Donor Program. Dr. Wojciech Pawlina is a professor of anatomy. Jannika Coons is the program director for the Clinical Anatomy Lab and the Donor Program. Dawn Freshwater is the Body Donation Program coordinator. Cassie Fortsch is another one of our donor coordinators. Karen Mills, Andrew Wilhorn, Danielle Marquette, Tessa Skerjance, Breanna Reding, Karen Oscarson, and Brianna McCabe are the lab associates, and Eric Sheahan and Joel Pino are our media specialists.

It has been a long and difficult time for many of you to endure the grief you have felt in the months or years since your loved one passed away. I also have had the privilege to have a loved one donate their body. I know firsthand how hard that year of waiting is. As you have waited for this service that will assist in bringing closure to your grief, it is my hope that as you listen to our speakers today, you will not only find comfort and be uplifted from what they say, but that you will also be able to leave this service proud and with a greater appreciation for what these donors have done for humankind. Please know that your loved ones legacy will live on with these students and that many lives will be helped because of the selfless gift that all of your loved ones gave. It truly warmed my heart and gave me peace to watch the convocation service then, and I hope it does the same for you and your family. Thank you again from the bottom of our hearts.

I would now like to introduce our medical director, Dr. Sebastian Cotofana.

Sebastian C. Cotofana, M.D., Ph.D., Body Donation Program, Mayo Clinic: I would like to welcome you to this virtual Convocation of Thanks. My name is Sebastian Cotofana and I'm the medical director of the Mayo Clinic Body Donation Program and the medical director for the Clinical Anatomy Laboratory. Donating your own body requires an enormous amount of trust and confidence in the foundations and beliefs and into the actions of the people and of the institution here at Mayo Clinic. In my role as medical director, it is my solemn duty and privilege to assure the deepest level of respect and human dignity towards your loved ones and toward the decision to become a donor of the Mayo Clinic Body Donation Program.

Our program, together with your loved ones who are the most important members of our program, help physicians to save lives on a daily basis and to preserve the quality of life and well-being for patients all around the world. I would like to express my sincere and humble gratitude for your loved ones everlasting gift, to you, the families, for supporting their decision. In the following, you will hear experiences of colleagues here at Mayo Clinic and how appreciative we all are for this gift. Thank you very much.

Jeff Schultz, Emergency Medicine Paramedic Program, Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences: Welcome to this Convocation of Thanks Service. My name is Jeff Schultz and I am the lead instructor of the Emergency Medicine Paramedic Program here at the Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences in Rochester, Minnesota. As a part of our curriculum, we bring the students up to the donor lab to experience anatomy and physiology and other medical procedures. Some of the benefits for our students are as follows. Our students get hands-on experience that solidifies their learning. Actually getting the chance to see the anatomy of real patients in the lab creates an active learning environment that allows students to have hands-on experience that brings learning full circle. There is a better understanding of how all bodies are different. While a textbook can describe an average condition, no two people are alike. One of the most surprising things for our paramedic students in the lab is seeing these differences and discovering that while all humans do have the same basic anatomy, there are a wide variation in how that anatomy appears, which gives them a more diverse understanding of the patients they will encounter in the field.

We see the effects of disease firsthand. Learning about normal anatomy is critical, but being able to point out pathology in the human body is also a real advantage to individuals in the health care field. It can be truly eye-opening for the students to see the effects of disease within the human body beyond a textbook. We gain an appreciation for the donor. Often, one of the most compelling experiences for students is how much they come to respect the gift that has been given to them by the donor. Over time, they realize what a valuable learning experience this is and appreciate that it was made possible because someone chose to donate their body for the good of medicine. Without these special people, it would be nearly impossible for tomorrows paramedics to get the education they need.

There is a unique advantage for paramedics by having the lab at the paramedic level. This is a rare benefit, one that most institutions don't have on their campuses and that our students really value. The Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences is committed to providing the best learning environment possible and our anatomy lab is just one example of how we're making that happen. Here are a few student reflections that we have received from past and present students regarding this lab.

"It is an experience that I will never forget. These individuals gave us a great gift in donating their bodies so that we can further our medical education. It taught my peers and me a level of respect and responsibility in caring for our patients that we will take with us throughout our careers. They are our true first patients."

"Your loved ones help to train the next generation of paramedics. Their sacrifice and your sacrifice affects patients they've never even met."

"I felt more confident leaving the lab session today knowing that I can be more successful in the field with my procedures. We have elevated our paramedic education to the next level with the help of your loved ones. A gift of education that will provide quality patient care in the future to patients in need."

"Our goal as paramedics is that the need of the patient comes first, and many times we are the first to deliver the care that is needed."

Our program, our students want to thank each and every one of you along with your loved one for the opportunity to make a difference. It has taken courage and fortitude to have these donors offer their bodies to further educate medical professionals. This service is life affirming and a chance to give thanks. The education our paramedic students have received is invaluable. They're actually saving lives.

The Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences Emergency Paramedic Program would like to thank all of you and your loved ones for your support.

Peter C. Rhee, D.O., M.S., Orthopedic Surgery, Mayo Clinic: My name is Peter Rhee. I'm a hand surgeon here at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. I'm the program director for our hand surgery fellowship and core faculty for the orthopedic surgery residency. I have the pleasure and duty of training future orthopedic surgeons and hand surgeons. Our goal is to train the world's best surgeons while they're here in Rochester to go out into the world to serve as beacons of hope to patients around the world.

The gift of your loved ones has enabled us to provide unparalleled education to our trainees. There's no doubt that the knowledge and skills acquired in our surgical skills lab, through the gracious donation of you and your loved ones, will benefit countless patients in the world. Thank you so much for the legacy of your loved ones as we try to spread Mayo Clinic service to patients around the world in their greatest time of need. Very respectfully, Peter Rhee.

Luke S. Bartels, SPT, Physical Therapy Program, Mayo School of Health Sciences: Hello, Donor families. My name is Luke Bartels and on behalf of myself and my classmates in the Physical Therapy Program, I want to sincerely thank you and your loved ones for donating to the Mayo Clinic Body Donation Program. I'd like to begin by sharing a quote from the author and physician, Sherwin B. Nuland. He says that "We die so that the world may continue to live. We have been given the miracle of life because trillions upon trillions of living things have prepared the way for us and then have died — in a sense for us. We die in turn so that others may live. The tragedy of a single individual becomes in the balance of natural things, the triumph of ongoing life."

It's my hope that after hearing from myself and others that have benefited from this donor program at Mayo Clinic that you understand your loved ones impact on current and future health care professionals is invaluable. Learning from the donors in this program has been such a profound experience for me personally, I truly believe there's no more effective way to learn about human anatomy and understand our own bodies and how they work than through a program like this. I had the privilege of learning anatomy through a donor program at my undergraduate institution and Mayo Clinic's Donor Program was a significant consideration for me when deciding which physical therapy programs to apply to.

As a physical therapy student, I don't think I would be able to grasp the way our bodies move and change nearly as well without this experience. The knowledge I gleaned through working with the Donor Program is something I will take with me to my work with patients every day as I begin my career. I valued working with the Donor Program so greatly that I hope to serve in an anatomy tutoring role so that I can express to future students the gratitude we ought to feel for having the privilege to learn about human anatomy this way. This feeling of gratitude is what was the most impactful on me when learning through the Donor Program. I've never felt so distinctly thankful for an opportunity to learn than when I was taking the human anatomy lab course here. I am grateful for the opportunity to learn in this way, grateful for your loved ones and their choice to donate, and grateful for my own health and abilities now more than ever.

Working with human donors can be an overwhelming yet incredibly humbling experience — reminding us that none of us are invincible. Yet we're remarkably formed and capable of so many great things. To see the intricacies of the human body and understand the things that keep us alive, is truly an experience that I treasure. It's my hope that the feelings of gratitude I have towards your loved ones and their choice to donate extends to all of you. Because your support in their willingness is making a significant impact on the present and future of health care and cannot be appreciated enough.

Maegan N. Cropsey, SPT, Physical Therapy Program, Mayo School of Health Sciences: Hello. My name is Maegan Cropsey and I'm a student in the Physical Therapy Program here at Mayo. I wanted to express my heartfelt thank you to our donors and their families for the incredible learning opportunity it is in the lab because of your generosity. I have learned so much what the gift that you have given to Mayo, and I continue to benefit from it as I work in the lab to help other programs learn. Being able to work and learn in the lab with the donors has been a truly humbling experience, knowing that someone has chosen to donate themselves for the betterment of the students here at Mayo. I know that it must be an incredible sacrifice, both for the donors but especially for their families. I want to say to those families, thank you for your gift and your sacrifice.

The donors are treated with the utmost respect and are indispensable learning opportunities for us among our programs. I hope to reflect the lessons I have learned in the lab in my practice as I continue to study physical therapy and seek to help patients gain hope through the care I give them. The donors have given me a new perspective on the nuances of life and a window into the beautiful complexity of a person. I have been struck anew by how intricately designed we are, and I thank you for giving me the opportunity to study that and to learn it well. Thank you families for your generosity and sacrifice. It will not be forgotten.

Hannah R. Anderson, Physician Assistant Studies Program, Mayo School of Health Sciences: Hi, my name is Hannah Anderson. I'm a first-year physician assistant student here at Mayo School of Health Sciences that started in August 2021. I had the opportunity to take my anatomy course during the fall of 2021. Our program started by establishing a very strong anatomical foundation. We had eight weeks of anatomy led by an amazing team including Dr. Lachman, Dr. Cotofana, Dr. McKenzie, and Dr. Pawlina, and so many others. We took anatomy alongside the first-year medical students. The course was such an amazing experience and really built a strong foundation that I've been able to build upon in my classes proceeding the course.

Just to give you a quick insight into the PA Program. I am one of 24 students. Our curriculum is 24 months long. We start with 12 months in the classroom, which includes learning the foundations of medicine, diagnostics and learning and applying procedural skills. After classroom training, we move into 12 months of clinical rotations. Clinicals take the information that we learned in the classroom and apply it to patients with the guidance of our preceptor.

Our program has founded itself on providing immersive educational experiences, which includes working with the donors. These experiences greatly increased my confidence, knowledge, and passion for medicine. Working with the donors has been an educational experience that I will not forget. Not only have we been able to extensively learn the anatomy that models and photos cannot teach you, but our classes have been able to practice procedures in order to build confidence entering into our clinical year. This is an experience not a lot of PA programs have. We are so blessed and grateful for the donors for this unique experience.

However, the most meaningful thing that working with the donors has taught me was respect for the human body and to appreciate how fragile life is. I am amazed that patients are willing to donate their bodies for the progression of medicine. What we have learned from working with the donors is an educational experience that neither I nor my classmates will forget.

Since I am representing my class, I wanted to include some of their words. One of my classmates, Cailin wrote, "Medical body donations from your loved ones has been one of the greatest gifts of knowledge I have received during my medical education. This generous gift will be one that I will not forget for a lifetime."

Molly said, "I can't express enough my deep gratitude for the donations of your loved ones. Because of them, I have established a foundation of knowledge that I can use to treat our patients and better the lives of so many. I'm so incredibly grateful."

Lastly, Alex wrote, "My education was enriched by studying the donors. I not only was able to study medicine in an in-depth 3D view, but I also was able to witness and respect the full spectrum of humanity, which includes the moment at the end of each of us. I learned the importance of both death and life, and for that I'm forever grateful."

While these are just a few words of gratitude from some of my classmates, I know I can speak on behalf of my entire class in thanking and honoring those that were willing to donate their body for the progression of our medical career. I'd like to make a special thank you to the families and friends that have come today. It feels right to celebrate and honor your loved ones for all that they have done. As the next generation of health care providers, we are forever grateful. Thank you.

Michelle D. Perkins, Surgical First Assistant Program, Mayo School of Health Sciences: Hello, my name is Michelle Perkins. I'm a student here at Mayo Clinic in the Surgical First Assistant Program. I understand how difficult it can be to lose a loved one. I lost my father many years ago, and that was my first time seeing someone who had passed. That is one of the main reasons why I wanted to be part of this video. My experience within the anatomy lab was moving. I was very excited to learn in such an extreme and different way but was also reminded how I felt after my father had passed away.

Thinking about how I felt made me even more grateful. When my dad passed, I don't think I would've been strong enough to donate his body, but here I am now with someone else's father, mother, sibling, friend. You were strong enough and for this I personally thank you.

Also for my class, I would like to say thank you for the generosity you guys have towards the education of students here at the Mayo Clinic. We are aware of the sacrifice you have made and the feelings you may be experiencing as a result of this journey. We appreciate your patience and understanding. We'd like to express our gratitude for your family members kind donation. We shall remember them with admiration and respect for the actions they took. Learning from your loved one was an amazing opportunity. Forever my gratitude.

Christeebella O. Akpala, R.N., Medical Student, Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine: My name is Christeebella Akpala, a second year medical student at the Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine. I would like to now read all the thoughts that ran through my mind as I went through anatomy lab for the first time.

Starting gross anatomy was anything but ordinary. Meeting my first patients for the first time in the anatomy lab elicited a range of emotions from anxiously excited to virtually unaffected. I stood there struck by the enormity of the gift of the human being displayed in front of me, who had made the conscious decision that they would like to be utilized for the benefit of people they would likely never know.

As I held a human heart and lungs in my hands, the prevailing emotions were those of gratitude and humility. Feeling small and unworthy, but yet bewildered by this rarest of opportunities I was being afforded.

As I drove home that day, my coat smelled, well, weird, a subtle token of this profound experience that followed me home. I realized how privileged I was to be in such a trusted position in society, or even the fact that anyone is deemed worthy of holding it. I recognized that I may fall short of my own expectations, but I can keep trying to prove worthy of it nonetheless.

I would like to continue by expressing my gratitude to you, the families of my first patients. I thank you for allowing me to share in a little bit of the intimacy that you have shared as a family. I have been given the sacred privilege of learning from the physical body of your loved one. And in so doing, I have gotten a glimpse of the person and personality that was there. In working with my first patients, your beloved relatives, my colleagues and I saw some of their characteristic features as revealed on their bodies. Gray hair representing wisdom, calloused hands demonstrating a passion for consistent hard work, weathered skin revealing a life enjoying outdoor sunshine. As an emerging physician, my studies focus on helping people live longer and more comfortably during this physical life. But also realizing that this life has term limits and is finite for all of us.

My own experiences with death of loved ones have focused my thoughts on a very real life that extends beyond our physical lives. I would say that the donation of a body for the education of the next generation of physicians makes the physical life timeless. In that the body represents a legacy that is helping my education and thus the health of the patients I will better treat in the future, better because of the generosity of the individual who volunteered to facilitate my learning. Thank you.

Charlotte E. Michaelcheck, Medical Student, Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine: Hello. My name is Charlotte Michaelcheck. I'm a student at the Mayo Clinic, Alix School of Medicine in my first-year, rising into my second year. I have thoroughly enjoyed this past year and every educational opportunity I've had the honor and pleasure to be a part of.

Undoubtedly the most valuable and impactful one of those opportunities was my anatomy course. Anatomy is the most intimidating course to a first-year medical student because you are introduced to all parts of the human and the human body all at once. Our professors did an incredible job at holding our hands through some of the most difficult concepts and walking us through the intricacies of human physiology. But undoubtedly our best and most important teachers were our body donors. These individuals served as our professors. They enlightened us as to the intricacies of all parts of the human, and they allowed us to tap into the imperative sense of empathy that will serve us well as physicians.

Understanding the human body goes well beyond understanding the parts that sum the whole. All of these people lived full lives, and having the honor and opportunity to learn from their bodies allowed us to understand what those lives may have looked like. It gave us the opportunity to thoroughly delve into all of the parts, but also understand that there were social, environmental, and life experiences that went into making them whole.

As a first-year medical student, going into all of these lessons felt overwhelming at times. But spending countless hours in the anatomy laboratory having the opportunity to look into the eyes, the brains, the hearts, and form an appreciation for the gift that these individuals gave us while having the best possible opportunity to learn. I am so humbled and grateful for the gift and sacrifice that was given to us as medical students. Not only to have learned how incredible, miraculous and meticulous the human body is, but to learn what it means to give. What it means to prioritize education and the foresight that these individuals had in dedicating the time after their death to our foundation as future physicians. They will, have, and forever will be my most impactful, profound, wonderful teachers. And I am grateful every day. Thank you so much.

Sarah C. Dolbinski, SPT, Physical Therapy Program, Mayo School of Health Sciences: Hi, my name is Sarah Dolbinski and I'm a student physical therapist.

Ms. Michaelcheck: Hello, my name is Charlotte Michaelcheck and I'm a student at the Mayo Clinic, Alix School of Medicine.

Mr. Bartels: My name is Luke Bartels and I'm a student physical therapist. We will now begin the reading of the names.

• Jerome
• Elizabeth
• Jim
• Gary
• Margery
• David
• Joseph
• Gary
• Genevieve
• Jon

Ms. Michaelcheck:

• Lyle
• Robert
• Curtis
• Eva
• Joanne
• Dale
• Evelyn
• John
• Hobart
• DeWaldon

Ms. Dolbinski:

• Katherine
• Owen
• Robert
• Todd
• Dana
• Myron
• Grant
• Darlene
• James
• Leonard

Mr. Bartels:

• Jean
• Patricia
• Elizabeth
• Betty
• Arlen
• Barbara
• William
• Ron
• David
• Paul

Ms. Michaelcheck:

• Eugene
• Arthur
• Polly
• Penny
• William
• Judith
• Ken
• Fred
• Marcia
• Howard

Ms. Dolbinski:

• Mary
• Bob
• Chuck
• Peggy
• Kenneth
• Betty Jane
• Barbara
• Jim
• Lillian
• Ardell

Mr. Bartels:

• Laura
• Donald
• Ruth
• Arnold
• Tim
• Helen
• James
• LaVonne
• Bob
• Jim

Ms. Michaelcheck:

• Beverly
• Del
• Ruth
• Charles
• Marlin
• Marvin
• Bergetta
• Mike
• Susan
• Judy

Ms. Dolbinski:

• Jerry
• Tom
• John
• Bill
• Benjamin
• Joyce
• Steffen
• Nancy
• Gaylord
• John

Mr. Bartels:

• Ethel
• Lonny
• Lavern
• Jean
• Melba
• Philip
• Duane
• Muriel
• Rochelle
• Jim

Ms. Michaelcheck:

• Charlotte
• Brenda
• Harriet
• Jack
• Helen
• Peter
• Rose
• Virginia
• Douglas Charles
• Elaine

Ms. Dolbinski:

• Janice
• Letty
• Betty Ann
• Audrey
• Gretchen
• Barbara
• Patricia
• Susan
• Kenneth
• Kathryn

Mr. Bartels:

• Margaret
• Ron
• Carolyn
• Etta
• Marsha
• LeRoy
• Bob
• Ione
• Mark
• Carolyn

Ms. Michaelcheck:

• Dwight
• Daniel
• Duane
• Mike
• Valora
• Bob
• Tom
• Donald
• Darrell
• Doris

Ms. Dolbinski:

• Lynn
• Gloria
• Doris
• Harold
• Mary Kay
• Sue
• Ernest
• Allen
• Ruth
• Jean

Mr. Bartels:

• Barbara
• Diana
• Shirley
• Byron
• Ruth
• Ruby
• Robert
• Gerald
• Susan
• Marjorie

Ms. Michaelcheck:

• Midge
• Jean
• Lois
• Robert
• Raymond
• Bucky
• Albert
• Fred
• Donna
• Jeanne

Ms. Dolbinski:

• Ginny
• Donald
• Dori
• Vernon
• David
• Florence
• Joy
• Rose
• Miriam
• Margaret

Mr. Bartels:

• Doris
• Julie
• Reginald
• Paul
• Kathy
• Rita
• Betty
• Victor
• Barbara
• Stan

Ms. Michaelcheck:

• Paula
• Shirley
• Rita
• Wanda
• Jane
• Carolyn
• Royce
• Mary
• Karen
• Chelsi

Ms. Dolbinski:

• Willa
• Darrell
• David
• Lena
• Larry
• Jean
• Donald
• John
• Pauline
• Charles

Mr. Bartels:

• Paul
• Ken
• William
• Karen
• Paul
• Marjorie
• Rhea
• Lloyd

That concludes the reading of the names.

Dawn R. Freshwater, Program Coordinator for the Mayo Clinic Body Donation Program: Hello. My name is Dawn Freshwater and I am the Program Coordinator for the Mayo Clinic Body Donation Program. If you have ever called our office, you have likely spoken with me. I am honored each day to talk to family members and friends of our donors and also the donors themselves when they call for information as they are considering the gracious gift of donating their body to Mayo Clinic for education. I want to thank each of you for honoring your family members wish, as we understand, this is not the traditional process we are accustomed to when we lose someone we love. Thank you for your patience as we care for your loved one, as they educated our future health care providers. The gift they provided will carry on for many years. To honor the veterans in our program, I am privileged to introduce the Honor Guard from American Legion Post 92. They are recorded at the Mayo Clinic Vaults at Oakland Cemetery here in Rochester.

{Honor Guard from American Legion Post 92 - 21 gun salute and playing of taps}

Zachary (Zach) W. Lovig, MDiv, Chaplain Services, Mayo Clinic: Greetings. My name is Zach Lovig, one of the staff chaplains at Mayo Clinic, Rochester. It is my privilege to thank the many people who contributed to the Convocation of Thanks. From those who spoke to those who worked behind the scenes, my thanks to you for the work you did to provide the space and time to remember these beloved donors and the inspiration to carry on in their name.

In a time of remembrance and grief, the value and needs of connections we share have taken on a new significance to you, the families at home. We can only tell our part of their stories. As your loved ones journey with the students has ended, the students will carry the avenues and landscapes of the human body with them in service and support of others. See how the significance of your loved one's life reaches out to connect and impact others through the work of the students. That is a unique gift that they have given.

As your loved one's physical work with the students have come to its end and the students know the way they should go, we turn to you to continue cherishing their memory and life, to guide others that you meet. As you reflect on the lives of the loved ones you remember, pause for a moment and even close your eyes if you feel so inclined. Remember the curve of their smile and the sound of their laughter. Remember one of the thousand little moments that you carry with you now and remind you of who they are and how they even now ask you to be their living legacy. Into those precious memories, pour your love and their hopes, carry their aspirations and the promises made. See how we are able to grow because they walked beside us and you.

Through this service we send you now to carry these memories in the hopes that celebrating their lives will remind you once again that you are connected to them by your love for them and their hopes for you.

So let your lives be shaped by theirs as you cherish the soul of who they are. You are invited to open your eyes. Let them remind us that the heritage we've been left and the hopes that have been vested in us are intended to be shared with others. Because you love them still, others will have the privilege to walk with their legacy. With these treasured memories, we all carry on with the best of what we were given. I can think of no better way to honor our loved ones than to bless others in their name.

So today, we send you out to tell your stories, to sing their songs to one another. Consider how your loved ones are saving the lives and easing the pain of people who have never met them. Rest in the knowledge that their generosity lives on through the many students they have guided along their study. But even as we near the end of this service, remember to give thanks for the way they live on through you. Thank you.