Overview

• USC Annenberg Media reported that the Navy paid USC more than $860,000 for at least 89 bodies since 2017, with 32 used in IDF medical trauma courses at Los Angeles General Medical Center.
• Contracts cited include $516,632 labeled for “cadavers for IDF training” over the past two years, with an additional $224,636 available for purchases through 2026.
• USC sourced bodies through its Anatomical Gift Program and Los Angeles County’s Office of Decedent Affairs, which manages unclaimed remains, according to reporting and a Keck spokesperson.
• Keck School of Medicine said its courses aim to save lives and that its surgical skills center operates in accordance with regulations, while LA County said its Navy agreement covers only U.S. personnel and excludes foreign nationals.
• Training uses perfused cadavers to simulate battlefield trauma, and a 2020 study by Navy surgeons and a Keck leader reported improved team dynamics and technical skills from the approach.