OUWB Anatomy Memorial held, attended by families of donors for first time - Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine

Medical and physical therapy students recently gathered to honor those often called their “silent teachers” at the 2026 OUWB Anatomy Memorial — an event that carried additional meaning this year.

Held May 11 at Oakland University’s Oakland Center, the annual ceremony memorialized donors who selflessly contributed their bodies for educational purposes. About 200 people attended.

This year, OUWB students relied on 22 donors while the Oakland University Physical Therapy Program had 11.

Of the 22 OUWB donors, 20 came from University of Toledo. Two donors were directly from OUWB’s Body Donation Program (BDP), which has had nearly 200 people sign up since its launch.

This year’s memorial carried added significance because it was the first time families of donors through the OUWB program were present, said Malli Barremkala, M.D., associate professor, Department of Foundational Medical Studies, and director, BDP.

“To have the families come and listen and see how students, faculty, and the whole community benefit from the donors is something that I’ve been looking forward to as director of the program,” he said. “The other thing is we hope family members consider signing up for the program when they see how much the students respect the donors.”

Waldemar Semrau attended the event because his wife, Marilyn, was among the body donors honored. (All identifying names in story used with direct permission.)

Semrau said he thought “very, very highly” of the ceremony. He added that he and his wife signed up for the program “as soon as we could.”

“Marilyn’s brother was an OB-GYN and we were chatting … and learned that a medical school could likely make good use of our anatomical gifts,” he said. “She had a great love for her brother and great respect for him, so it seemed like a natural thing to do.”

The OUWB and physical therapy programs rely on such donors as part of their curricula. Students begin working with the donors at the beginning of the school year. They are considered vital to providing students with hands-on learning experiences and the ability to see the diverse variations of the human body. The donors also are considered the students’ first patients.

In honor of those individuals, the ceremony featured reflections and art presentations and performances. Christopher Carpenter, M.D., Stephan Sharf Dean, said he was honored to be part of the memorial to recognize “the profound and generous gifts of our body donors.”

“There are many ways to give, but few gifts carry the depth, the impact, and lasting influence of this one,” he said. “It is one that lives on in every student and in every patient they help.”

Several other faculty members from both programs spoke on the importance of the donors and expressed gratitude for donors’ respective decisions. Students also paid tribute.

First-year medical student Chika Uwandu sang a version of the song “You Raise Me Up,” made famous by Josh Groban.

“I just want the donors and their loved ones to know how much these donations mean to us,” she said. “Especially in terms of learning and understanding the importance of the human body and how the human body can be different…things we fully realize once we’re in the lab.”

First-year medical student Omar Elnour presented an art piece called “Held in Study.” The drawing was done with alcohol marker and was an illustration of three, layered hands. One of the hands showed muscles and tendons, the second was wearing a medical glove, and a third was semi-translucent to feature the skeletal structure.

Elnour described a specific moment of inspiration for his art.

“My partners and I were working down the arm as we revealed the arm’s musculature and I remember holding up the donor’s arm, my hand clasped around his,” he said. “It’s hard to describe exactly what I felt, but that moment made the donor’s sacrifice feel more real than ever before.”

“I wanted the hands in this piece to hold the visual beauty of anatomy, but also the beauty of the person who allowed you to study them in the first place,” he added. “To the donors and families … thank you. This piece is my attempt to honor the privilege of learning anatomy with our own hands.”

Patricia Montgomery attended the event in honor of her late brother, who was a donor. She said everyone involved in the memorial did “a beautiful job.”

“It was a wonderful tribute,” she said. “I’m honored that my brother was able to give what he did, and they honored his legacy beautifully.”

The following day one of the donors became the first to be inurned in the OUWB Mausoleum and Receiving Vault that is in Mount Avon Cemetery, near downtown Rochester.

The event was attended by representatives of OUWB, the city of Rochester, and Pixley Funeral Homes — the three entities that partnered to establish the mausoleum to be used exclusively by donors of the OUWB BDP (if that’s what the donor decides ahead of time).

Christina Drakos, coordinator, BDP, spoke during the short ceremony preceding the inurnment. She talked about “shared values of service, compassion, respect, and dignity” by the partners in the mausoleum.

“It’s a powerful symbol of the community’s trust in our work together,” she said.

Further, Drakos noted feeling “humbled and inspired” by the conversations she has with those interested in becoming donors.

“What (potential donors) all have in common is that beyond their death, they want to continue to contribute; they want to be of service,” she said.

“In addition ... they have chosen to place their trust in us.”