(U-WIRE) PULLMAN, Wash. — Some people are just dying to get into Washington State University.

In fact, David Conley, director of the Human Anatomy Laboratory and Willed-Body Program, has about 200 people from around the Northwest region who have registered to donate their bodies to the WSU anatomy lab after they die.

"About 50 percent of donators are Coug fans somehow," he says, referring to the school's Cougar mascot. "They are excited to do it. To them, it's not morbid."

He says donors want their bodies to be gifts that keep on giving — and they do.

Thirty-seven cadavers are used by 500 to 600 students throughout the year in two identical human anatomy labs. The labs have most things a normal classroom contains: chairs, tables and white boards. But lab coats, organ bins and cadavers set this classroom apart from many others.

"A lot of the learning is through show and tell," Conley says. "Students are encouraged to touch things and ask questions."

Most of the bodies donated are between 60 and 80 years old, and come from the Northwest region. Some are even husbands and wives, Conley says.

"I receive several requests a week for the paperwork needed to register their donation to the program," Conley says.

The bodies are cremated after their time at the lab, usually about two to four years. Afterward, the remains are either returned to the family or buried at no cost in Seattle.

"A lot of schools are experiencing shortages of donations," Conley says. "University of Washington is — which is odd with all the population base they have -- but we have no shortage."

Conley says there are some myths about the program that he would like to dispel.

"We don't take any unclaimed bodies," he says. "No John Doe types, everyone must have already done all the paperwork needed to donate themselves. All our donors want their bodies to be here, and their families want to honor their wishes. Their donation is like a financial gift to the university, only much more unique.

"And we're not allowed to sell body parts," Conley says. "I guarantee to donors and families that the bodies are treated with respect; this is strictly an educational experience."

— Evan Caldwell