Eulogy performed by Adrees Basharmal

 Good afternoon, everyone. It is such a wonderful opportunity to be here and meet with you.

Today, we gather to reflect upon the lives of the people who so generously donated themselves to our education. We honor the lives they lived prior to their donation, we cherish the knowledge they shared with us in the anatomy lab, and we recognize the lives they will continue to live in each one of us moving forward. I hope that I can adequately express the depth of appreciation that our class feels.

When we first entered the anatomy lab, our class carried a mix of emotions. There was curiosity, anticipation, excitement, and also fear. For some of us, it was our first time being with a donor body. For others, we really began to feel the weight of the road ahead as medical students. Above all of these feelings was a shared commitment. We wanted to do right by our donors.

I was grateful to take a humanities course during my time as a first-year medical student hosted by our school’s beloved Dr. Homaira Azim. This class was called “Reflections on Dissection” and it gave us a space outside of the lab room to reflect more deeply on the generosity of our donors. We were encouraged to really sit with our feelings of gratitude, to confront discomfort, and to recognize the profound sacrifice that our donors had made for us.

As our year went on and we grew more comfortable working with one another and being in the lab, the space changed. It evolved from a place of study to a place of reflection. There were always moments where we would pause and look at one another and wonder what the lives of our donors were like before being with us. What was their favorite song, what made them smile, what made them cry, what was their story? In their stillness, they showed us their humanity.

Your loved ones made this gracious decision to donate themselves to our education. From them, we learned more than any book or lecture could teach us. They were our first patient. They taught us humility in the responsibility we will carry as physicians, and the trust between providers and those who seek care. As our class moves forward and finds their paths in medicine and healthcare, we will carry with us the lessons that we learned from those we honor today. In every patient we meet and in every decision we make they will be with us.

To the families and friends that are here with us today to celebrate their gift, thank you. Thank you for your generosity, thank you for your trust, and thank you for your presence. You are just as a much a part of our education as your gracious loved ones. I hope you can feel my class’s deepest gratitude and respect as we return your loved ones to you today.

Thank you so much.