PCOM South Georgia held its annual Body Donor Memorial Service on campus in May. For the first time, family members from the Moultrie area attended the event, highlighting the program’s growth across South Georgia since 2019. Over 100 people, including students, faculty, and community members, gathered to honor those who selflessly donated their bodies for science and research.

This year’s event was coordinated by first-year students from the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine Class of 2028 and the Master of Science in Biomedical Sciences Class of 2025.

Jonathan Ortiz (DO ’28) greeted the crowd and reflected on his experience working with what he considers his first patient: “Through their gift we received an education that goes beyond science, skills, lectures, or textbooks. This opportunity for learning—so intimately—is one we do not take lightly, for it has shaped the way we think, how we approach medicine, and has sculpted the kind of doctors we hope to become.”

Class Chair Daniel Chanelo (DO ’28) spoke as well as Lily Dywer (DO ’28) and Alexandria Branch (MS ’25), Biomedical Class Chair, noting how the donors have given them each a vital lesson—that medicine is not just a science but also an act of service.

Associate Professor of Anatomy Emranul Huq, PhD, shared how the program deepens our understanding of the human body, but also emphasized how it teaches empathy: “It is also essential in our pursuit of knowledge, healing, and compassion,” he said.

Kristie Petree, DO '13, Associate Professor, Chair of the Department of Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine and a graduate of PCOM Georgia’s Class of 2013, said: “Far beyond anything described in a lecture, these teachers offered the opportunity to encounter the human body in its truest form. They granted our students front row seats to lessons that transcend anatomy; lessons in humility, mortality, and empathy.”

To learn more about the PCOM South Georgia Body Donor Program, visit the webpage for more information or contact Jeremy Dickens, anatomical coordinator at PCOM South Georgia, at [email protected] or 229-668-3261.