John Uhorchak graduated from the US Military Academy, West Point, in 1975 and from Albany Medical College in 1985. After completing a residency at William Beaumont Army Medical Center in 1990, he received the John A. Feagin Sports Medicine Fellowship at Keller Army Community Hospital, West Point, in 1992.
During his 28 years in the US Army, Col. Uhorchak treated soldiers in wars zones in Somalia, Afghanistan and Iraq. As the only orthopedic surgeon at the 46th Combat Support Hospital, Mogadishu, Somalia on October 3 and 4, 1993, he performed 22 emergency surgeries in 34 hours on soldiers of Task Force Ranger and 10th Mountain division wounded in Black Hawk Down. A decade later, he led the special operations medical team participating in the Jessica Lynch rescue mission in Iraq.
Dr. Uhorchak made significant senior level contributions to US Army Medicine and Sports Medicine that continue to this day. He authored two chapters on orthopedic issues in the Emergency War Surgery Manual, Third Revised US Edition, 2004. He participated on the final editorial board that reviewed the manual for accuracy and consistency. This edition has set the standard for emergency war surgery treatment for all US military services and is still in use in Afghanistan and Iraq. He participated in numerous Army Surgeon General panels that standardized an external fixation system for open war wounds for all services, refined Forward Surgical team care, confirmed Combat Support Hospital structure and projected combat surgical care for the next decade.
His work in sports medicine earned him and his co-authors the 2002 O'Donoghue Sports Injury Research Award and the 2004 Hughston Award for best published paper. His lectures, presentations, co-presentations, publications and scientific meetings attended number over 150. In 2003, he was awarded the American Medical Association's "Pride in the Profession Award".
John is an Eagle Scout. His military awards include the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Combat Medical Badge, Ranger Tab, Parachutist badge and numerous commendation, campaign and service medals. He is a graduate of the US Army Command and General Staff College, received the US Army Surgeon General's "A" (top 5%) designation and was selected by his contemporaries to receive the Order of Medical Merit.
Dr. Uhorchak and his wife Lucinda Walker '74 have three children all of whom have graduated from the US military academy at West Point and are currently serving their country.