Meet Joni K. Doherty, MD

Dr. Doherty is an otolaryngologist with Keck Medicine of USC with subspecialty certification in neurotology.

Here’s what you won’t find on her resume.

She’s been interested in science her whole life.

“I grew up the daughter of a devoted internal medicine doctor, but I initially wanted to be a scientist and cure diseases through research. During college, I decided to do both.”

She stays active during her down time. 

“Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with family and friends, swimming, walking with my dog and practicing yoga.”

International travel tops her bucket list.

“My favorite travel destination is Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. In the future, I’d love to visit Japan, Italy and Greece.”

She rides motorcycles.

“People may be surprised to learn that I used to commute to work on a Ducati.”

A family member was her most influential role model.

“I’ve always looked up to my older sister.”

She enjoys reading.

“The novel ‘Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow’ by Gabrielle Zevin is a book I still often think about because it addresses regular life problems and made me laugh and cry.”

Her personal motto is about kindness.

“The best advice I ever received and that I always strive to follow is ‘Be kind to yourself and others.’”

The ability to help others motivates her every day.

“I became a doctor because I wanted to help humanity get well. Helping patients gain the ability to hear and improve their quality of life is the most rewarding part of my job.”

Patients can expect an attentive and compassionate approach.

“I am very proud of my position here at Keck Medicine and want each and every patient to feel they have been heard and helped. My bedside manner is calm, caring, attentive, courteous and patient.”

Her advice to medical students:

“Choose a specialty that you love so that works feels enjoyable every day.”

She envisions a future where everyone may have the ability to hear.

“The most impactful advancement in my field has been the development of gene therapy to restore hearing for certain genetic mutations that cause congenital hearing loss. In the future, I hope to see a medical breakthrough that allows us to restore auditory neurons, which would allow patients who have lost their hearing to fully regain it.”

She’s proud of the medical advancements made possible at Keck Medicine.

“I love being part of the Trojan family and working with such incredible colleagues. We especially stand out because of our expertise using robotics during cochlear implantation and other head and neck surgeries.”

Topics