Event Calendar

Embalming Is Science: Relatable Examples and Practical Applications
 
November 13, 2025 | 1:00 – 5:00 p.m.
 
The Conference Center at Waltham Woods | Massachusetts Medical Society
860 Winter Street, Waltham, Massachusetts

Registration Deadline: November 5, 2025 — We anticipate that this seminar will sell out quickly.  Reserve your seat today!
 

  
What You’ll Learn:

• How to evaluate the credibility of informational sources.
• How to spot logical fallacies affecting embalming decisions.
• How to apply scientific thinking to embalming practices.
• How to incorporate critical thinking into your workflow.

Benefits for You and Your Funeral Home:

• You will communicate more clearly with consumers about embalming.
• You will make better, faster decisions in the prep room.
• You will assess product claims and marketing materials more critically.

Who Should Attend:
This program is open to current licensees and qualified funeral service students. A limited number of student grants will be available through a collaboration between MFDA and the Dodge Family Scholarship Fund. Please email any questions to: events@massfda.org.

Our session leader, Ben Schmidt, MBIT
Ben Schmidt is a licensed funeral director and embalmer with over 10 years of teaching experience at three mortuary colleges. He is an Assistant Professor at Northeast Texas Community College and an Adjunct Teaching Specialist at the University of Minnesota. Ben also works as the Community Engagement Coordinator at Frigid Fluid, is a textbook author, podcast host, and co-host of NFDA’s Funeral Face-Off Trivia. He serves on the American Board of Funeral Service Education and has presented nationally and internationally, including at CANA’s first embalming CE event and the Belgian Institute of Thanatopraxie’s 50th anniversary.

Click here to download a copy of the registration form. 

• Advance Registration Required – Sorry, No Registrations at the Door
• All attendees must be licensed or registered by their respective State Regulatory Boards.
• Special Needs or Dietary Restrictions: Please notify MFDA at 781-335-2031 by Wednesday, November 5, 2025.
• Photo Notice: By attending, you give permission for MFDA to use event photos in publications, on our website, and on social media. Questions? Email us at events@massfda.org or call 781-335-2031.
• Overnight Rooms: Discounted rates at Hyatt House Waltham. Contact the MFDA office for details.
• Group discount: Contact events@massfda.org  for multiple registrations from the same funeral home.