Trauma‐informed bequeathed body donor meeting sessions: A guide for creating a supportive and humanistic anatomy laboratory

Anatomy educators are increasingly seeking approaches that honor the humanity of body donors while supporting learners through their first encounters in the gross anatomy lab. We describe a comprehensive donor meeting session, implemented in both dissection and prosection curricula at two North American medical schools, that prepares students to engage with donors before formal content-based learning begins. Grounded in the six principles of trauma-informed practice-safety; trustworthiness and transparency; peer support; collaboration; empowerment; and inclusivity-the session prioritizes relational and humanistic engagement over technical preparation alone. Learner reflections and faculty observations indicate that this model promotes emotional readiness, mitigates distress, and cultivates gratitude and humanism. We offer this framework for anatomy educators aiming to create supportive, donor-centered learning environments that shape both professional identity and future patient care.