Meet Emily Siegel, MD

Dr. Siegel is a breast surgical oncologist at Keck Medicine of USC, who specializes in the care and surgical management of breast cancer.

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

A childhood injury set her on the path to medicine.

“I’ve wanted to be a doctor since I was about 12 to 13 years old. I hurt my knee playing sports, and my orthopedist knew my interest and gave me hard copies of my MRI and an old light box. From that moment on, I was sold.”

Outside of clinical practice, you might find her at the golf course.

“During my time off, I enjoy hanging out with my dog, Matza, as well as cooking, traveling and playing golf.”

Attending culinary school is on her to-do list.

“Shooting under 80 in a round of golf, traveling to the Maldives and going to culinary school in Tuscany are on my personal bucket list.”

Being a doctor is her true dream job.

“Who would I trade careers with is a tough question. I really like my job, and it’s hard to imagine doing anything else. But, if I really had to explore a career outside of health care, I would probably be a restaurant critic or a golf pro — although I don’t have the skills needed for either.”

She has a soft spot for pop music of a certain era.

“I think people might be surprised to learn about my eternal love for *NSYNC and 1990s and 2000s pop music, generally.”

Her favorite TV show also features a treasured quote.

“My favorite TV show is Friday Night Lights. It had great comradery across the entire series. ‘Clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose’ is a phrase to live by.”

Her happy place is in Utah.

“My favorite travel destination is Deer Valley, Utah. It’s my happy place and only 2 hours away!”

She believes in the importance of constant improvement.

“The best piece of advice I’ve ever received is, ‘You’re never done becoming the best version of yourself.’”

Seeing her patients thrive is rewarding and inspirational.

“Seeing my patients go from a time of intense anxiety to relief and thriving is deeply rewarding. I’m inspired to be the best physician possible by hearing my patients share that they’re doing well and are happy with their results.”

Here’s her advice for medical students.

“I would advise incoming medical students, who are considering specializing in cancer care, that breast surgery and all cancer care is a team sport. You have to want that sense of collegiality to be part of this specialty.”

Innovation continues to improve her specialty.

“Our understanding of tumor biology has advanced and radically affected the way we treat each individual cancer. As we continue to make breakthroughs, I’d like to see a 100% cure rate become a reality. Even better would be prevention of breast cancer all together, of course.”

Research is an important component of her work.

“At Keck Medicine, we work with many international, national and local clinical trials. It’s important for me to continue to try to advance the field of breast cancer care. We owe it to our patients.”

Providing patient-centered care is why she chose Keck Medicine.

“The collegial nature of our breast cancer team at Keck Medicine — from radiologists, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, surgeons and pathologists — gives us the opportunity to provide personalized breast cancer care. As an academic medical center, we have the ability to harness the strength of clinical experts, researchers, engineers and more. We also have many locations throughout Southern California, which allows us to deliver world-class breast cancer care to our patients, close to home.”

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