As the clock struck noon on Thursday, September 16, the Atrium at PCOM Georgia in Suwanee quieted as students prepared to honor their first patients.

Andrea Mann, DO, FAAP, dean of osteopathic medicine, addressed the students. She said, “Your patients made the ultimate sacrifice for you. They allowed themselves to be vulnerable. And, you, in turn, cared for your patients with empathy, compassion, patience, and honor. Today, we are able to step back and recall what these beautiful people have given us. 

“Thank you, donors, for being there for our students. We are forever grateful.”

Students, faculty and staff members gathered to recognize the twenty individuals who donated their bodies as silent teachers to further the medical education of 277 future healthcare providers.

Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine class representative Candice Tate (DO ’24), who led the planning of the ceremony, expressed her gratitude for the hands-on learning the donors provided.

“Our books cannot replicate the masterwork of the human body. These donors have been our first patients and the greatest teachers. They have taught us the meaning of being human, both anatomically and spiritually.”

Jeff Seiple, the director of anatomical donor services for PCOM Georgia, said, “I would like to especially thank each family member of our donors, personally, for their confidence and endorsement of our college’s body donation program.

“You have entrusted your most precious possession with us. Because of this, we are full of gratitude and even humbled by your loved one’s gift and generosity.”

He noted that the donors have been teachers for about 135 medical students, 32 physician assistant students, 40 physical therapy students and 70 biomedical sciences students. 

“What an incredible legacy to pass on to the next generation of healthcare providers,” he said.

Libby Lirette (DO ’24) shared a poem she had penned. An excerpt poignantly expressed the students’ sentiments.

“But what a gift to leave, to give

You gave a part of yourself to help people you’d never meet

You chose to be vulnerable

And for that we give thanks

We thank our donors and their families

For such a precious gift

We started as strangers excited to learn

To identify, to discover, and to be better prepared to heal

To some of us you were our first patient

The one who helped us finally understand what we couldn’t in class

To see the connections that models can’t imitate

Your body, your life, your gift

Is one of a kind

Just like each of our future patients.”

As part of the ceremony, students planted marigolds to be given to someone who has been an integral part of their educational journey.

According to Tate, marigolds are often linked to the sun, representing power, strength and the light that lives inside a person. In addition, she said, marigolds are used as a way to remember individuals who are no longer with us.

“We felt that the symbolism of the marigold coupled with the idea of growth was perfect for today’s ceremony. The selfless sacrifice of our donors has allowed us growth as future healthcare professionals.

“Let the giving of the marigolds be a reminder of what our donors have given to us.”