Dr Karen Koch is from South Africa. She graduated MBChB with distinction from the University of Cape Town, South Africa in 2003. 

She studied her Fellowship of the College of Dermatology (SA) from 2013 to 2016 in Johannesburg working at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital, Helen Joseph Hospital and Charlotte Maxeke Hospital.  She passed her primary and exit examinations for dermatology with distinction. She was awarded the Dermatology Janssen Research Foundation Medal in 2013 and the Peter Gordon Smith Medal in 2016 for coming first in the country for her final examinations. She completed a Masters in Medicine through the University of Witwatersrand researching cutaneous lupus in South Africa. She was awarded for her work in lupus at the 10th Annual European Lupus Meeting in 2016.

She ran a private practice in Johannesburg, South Africa before emigrating to New Zealand in 2019 to join the Waikato Hospital Dermatology Department. She continues to study, teach and practice dermatology.