The Ethics of Using Human Remains in Medical Exhibitions: A Case Study of the Cushing Center

This paper presents an ethical framework for the creation and consideration of medical exhibits displaying human remains. Using the Cushing Center at the Yale School of Medicine as a case study, the aim is to delineate the rights that donors of human tissue maintain post mortem. Moreover, this article focuses a critical lens to the doctor-patient relationship, whether it should extend post mortem, and the implication of this for viewers. Ultimately, this account emphasizes the complex ethical factors that should be considered when assessing the function of a medical exhibition.