Michael Karch, MD
Specialties
Orthopedic Surgery
Areas of Interest
Dr. Karch specializes in orthopaedic trauma, AO philosophy. His skillset includes complex peri-articular trauma, joint replacement surgery including anterior total hip replacement, total knee replacement, advanced arthroscopic techniques for the knee, as well as general orthopedics, hand, foot and ankle.
Board Certification
American Board of Medical Specialties of Orthopedic Surgery
Education
Georgetown University School of Medicine, Goergetown, Washington D.C. - M.D. Doctor of Medicine
University of Delaware College of Arts and Sciences, Newark Delaware - B.A.
Medical Training
Loma Linda University Community Medical Center, Loma Linda, California - Internship
Georgetown University School of Medicine, Georgetown, Washington D.C. - Residency
Taos Orthopedic Institute. Taos, New Mexico - Fellowship
Biography
Michael M. Karch, M.D., is a board certified orthopaedic surgeon, entrepreneur, inventor and educator. He specializes in orthopedic trauma and Adult Reconstruction of the hip and knee. He has been in practice at the Mammoth Mountain Ski Resort in Mammoth Lakes, CA since 2003 and is a founding member and senior partner in the Mammoth Orthopaedic Institute, Inc. He has served as Chairman of the Surgery and Anesthesia Department at Mammoth Hospital since 2010.
Dr. Karch graduated from the Kutztown Area High School in 1987. As President of the Class of 1991, he completed his undergraduate studies with Honors at the University of Delaware and graduated with Honors from the Georgetown University School of Medicine in 1995, serving as President of the Medical School student body. Following a surgical intern year at the Loma Linda University Medical Center in California, he completed his orthopedic surgical residency training at Georgetown in Washington D.C. Dr. Karch completed a fellowship in Sports Medicine and Trauma under the direction of Jim Lubowitz, M.D. at the Taos Orthopaedic Institute, in Taos, New Mexico. He then underwent post-Fellowship apprenticeship training in Advanced and Masters AO trauma and hip and knee replacement techniques in the U.S. and in Europe under the direction of the late master surgeon, Jeff Mast, M.D.
Dr. Karch is the co-inventor of SMARTdrillâ technology and Smart Medical Devicesâ, Inc., a hand-held navigational power drill approved by the FDA for clinical use in orthopedic trauma surgery. He holds multiple patents and trademarks in this, and other, medical device technologies. He is co-founder and president of KMW Enterprises, a corporate entity that invented Steri-Basin, a real-time, simple and in-expensive intra-operative sterilization device dedicated to reducing the global rate of surgical site infections. He is the founder of the Mammoth Winter Biathlon, at one time, the largest citizen Nordic ski and marksmanship event in the United States. Dr. Karch founded the Mammoth Mass Casualty Seminar which then grew into the International Disaster and Austere Medicine Seminar and was Co-founder and president of Mammoth Medical Missions 501C3, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing surgical care to disaster zones throughout the world. Under his leadership, this strike team received international praise for its life saving efforts in the Philippines during the immediate aftermath of Super Typhoon Haiyan. Dr. Karch served on the Medical Board of Advisors for Global Surgical Medical Support Group, an organization dedicated to bringing top tier surgical training and relief to far forward combat zones in the Middle East conflict theatres.
Dr. Karch is an Associate Clinical Professor of Orthopedic Surgery at both The Georgetown University School of Medicine and the University of Nevada School of Medicine. He has been a Team Physician for the United States Ski and Snowboard Team since 2002 covering the Nordic Combined and Ski Jumping World Cup Competitions in Europe, Asia and North America and has served as personal physician to numerous Olympic athletes.
Dr. Karch was one of the first physicians on site at Ground Zero on September 11, 2001 and has led Forward Surgical Teams to many international disaster and conflict zones since that time. He has received two letters of commendation from George W. Bush, President of the United States of America for these actions and has been recognized internationally by the United Nations and the Philippine, Mexican, Iraqi and Nepali Governments for his humanitarian work and instruction in mass casualty medicine. He is currently developing the Mass Casualty Institute, an online educational platform for mass casualty training. He lectures domestically and internationally on mass casualty, mass shootings and terrorist inflicted injury patterns for the civilian physician.
Dr. Karch has completed 53 marathons, 6 Iron-Distance triathlons, numerous ultra-distance cross-country ski and mountain biking events and is a 2-time finisher of the Badwater 135-mile ultra-marathon race across Death Valley, touted as the most challenging human endurance footrace on Earth. He and his wife, Kim Escudero, MD, a Board-Certified Pediatrician and Functional Medicine specialist, live and work with their 3 children in Mammoth Lakes, California. U.S.A.
- http://www.smartmeddevices.com/
- http://www.mammothmedicalmissions.org/
- https://internationalmedicalcorps.org/nepal_heroic_journey
- http://www.equipped.org/groundzero.htm
Teaching or Professional Positions
Team Physician
Gold and Silver Medal winning United States Nordic Combined Ski Team; Vancouver, Canada 2010.
Team Physician
Team Running USA Silver and Bronze medals Men's and Women's Marathon Athens, Greece 2004. Team Physician for the United States Ski Team since 2002.
Founder: Mass Casualty/Disaster Preparedness Training
Unique approach to Mass Casualty Training involving the use of human cadavers for the entire Surgical and Emergency Room teams as well as EMS/Fire.
Medical Director: Mammoth Mountain Teams
Coordination and oversight of all snow discipline athletes on Mammoth Mountain, USA; 3rd largest ski area in North America. (Alpine, Downhill, Alpine GS and Slalom, Nordic, Snowboard, Biathlon, Freeride, Ski-cross, Boarder-cross.)
Medical Director: Mammoth Ski Patrol
Coordination, instuction, and oversight of on Mammoth Mountain amd backcountry mountain rescue operations.
Chairman: Department of Orthopedic Surgery
Mammoth Hospital, Mammoth Lakes, California
Founder: Mammoth Winter Biathlon
North America's largest winter Biathlon combining cross country ski racing and marksmanship.
Associate Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery
Associate Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery. Georgetown University School of Medicine.
Visiting Clinical Instructor Orthopaedic Surgery: Moraa University School of Medicine. Kabul, Afghanistan.
Professional Memberships
Associate Clinical Professor Orthopaedic Surgery – University of Nevada. 2005-present
Mass Casualty Instruction – Director/Instructor – Annual Course
Mass Casualty Advanced Training – AAOS/Society of Military Orthopaedic Surgeons
Mass Casualty On Call – AAOS on Call Domestic/Foreign Disaster Surge Team
AO Co- Director – AO Trauma Fellowship. Mammoth Lakes, CA A
O Faculty – AO Operating Room Personnel Course – San Francisco, CA. 2008
AO Faculty – AO Operating Room Personnel Course. Mammoth Lakes, CA 2003- Present
Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society – Georgetown University School of Medicine
Honors and Awards
Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society – Georgetown University School of Medicine
“String of Pearls” Resident Teaching Award – Georgetown 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002
“Mother of Pearl” Resident Teaching Award - Georgetown 1999, 2000, 2001
Hugh Huffy Surgical Resident Teaching Award - Georgetown 1997
Bridget Foster MacNamara Graduating Senior Award in Anesthesia - Georgetown 1995
