To further the wishes of those who dedicated their bodies to medical education, the department of Anatomy of the Tzu-Chi University proposed to the Dharma master Cheng Yen to pioneer a clinical skill training program based on un-embalmed bodies in 2000. With the support from the Dharma master, professor Guo-Fang Tseng, the director of the Medical Simulation Center now, planned from scratch and together with faculties, especially Dr. Yueh-Jan Wang, and staff of the anatomy department established the operation protocol and set up the quick freezing facility. Together with surgeons from the Hualien Tzu-Chi Medical Center, the team formulated and conducted the first basic clinical skill and surgery training program on May 26, 2002, to the second class of the medical students of the Tzu-Chi University a week before graduating. This marked the beginning of a new era of the medical education of Taiwan.

Following the success of the first simulation course which was conducted in the Gross Anatomy Lab, the university configured a surgery simulation room with 8 operation tables and inaugurated in September 15, 2003. With the advances of the operations and to accommodate more disciplines of training, in particular minimally invasive surgery and endoscopy, the training facility is under renovation and the new Medical Simulation Center scheduled for operation on September 2008.

Starting 1995, Tzu-Chi University commenced its willed body program and by August 2008 was entrusted by over 22 thousand people, a grand achievement in a society that mystifies human body and hence unwilling to donate. Two hundred and ninety-seven persons accomplished their will with the eldest being 94 and the youngest 14 years old. Another 295 donations were transferred to other universities with the donator’s permission.