Colleagues Remember Dr. Ira Karmin’s Prodigious Surgical Skills, Kind Demeanor
Ira Karmin, M.D., an assistant professor of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive sciences at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, passed away May 29 while traveling with his wife in Italy. He was 68 years old.
Dr. Karmin, a renowned expert in pelvic surgery, moved from New York, where he was affiliated with the Mount Sinai School of Medicine and Albert Einstein College of Medicine, to Miami to join the Miller School in 2006. He served as chair of the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences from 2013 to 2018.
He was also associate dean for women’s and children’s health for four years, beginning in 2012, and chief of service for gynecology from 2010 to 2018.
Colleagues remember Dr. Karmin as a clinician who always prioritized his patients’ needs and an outstanding advocate for the medical students he taught.
“Dr. Ira Karmin’s legacy will live on, especially in the lives of his patients and the residents he trained,” said Michael Paidas, M.D., professor and chair of the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences. “He cared deeply about providing exceptional care and mentoring trainees in the art of pelvic surgery, given his prodigious skills as a masterful surgeon.”
Dr. Karmin was a committed colleague who contributed to the clinical and academic success of the institution for which he worked for 18 years.
“As the former department chair, Dr. Karmin has always been there for me as a colleague and friend to lend advice,” Dr. Paidas said. “He was a wonderful colleague with a warm heart and a great sense of humor.”
In addition to his notable surgical talents, Dr. Karmin was an accomplished investigator who authored a litany of articles in high-impact journals, including an exploration of brachial plexus injuries published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Some of his research extended beyond his specialty into the realm of public health, reflecting the Miller School’s emphasis on service. Obstetrics & Gynecology published a study investigating HIV and STI screening prior to loop electrosurgical excision and Dr. Karmin also contributed to the Project THRIVE research that proposed a health care model for survivors of human trafficking.
Despite his impressive professional accomplishments, Dr. Karmin’s most enduring legacy may be his unwavering devotion to his patients and his kind, engaging demeanor.
“To know Dr. Karmin meant knowing someone very special,” said José Carugno, M.D., an associate professor of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive sciences at the Miller School. “His presence, personality and kindness had a way of impacting people’s lives. Losing him will definitely be felt. He will forever hold a special place in our hearts.”
“I have known Ira since the early 1990s, when we worked together at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York,” Dr. Paidas said. “It was a privilege to work with him again at UM these last five years. I will miss him and send my deepest sympathies to his wife, Dr. Randye Karmin, and their family.”
A funeral service will be held June 7, 2024, at 11:30 a.m. at Riverside-Nassau North Chapels in Great Neck, New York.