John Harch received a biology degree at Northwestern University, then attended UCLA School of Medicine for his M.D. In 1982, he started internship and residency in general surgery at LA County/USC Medical Center, where he encountered a series of bizarre, grisly, and sometimes humorous medical cases. He kept notes on the most unusual stories, finally collecting them together in a memoir called "Red Blanket."
For further details of John's background, his website is redblanketbook.com.