Karen E. Sommer, AuD, CCC-A
Clinical Audiologist
Dr. Sommer unknowingly started her audiology career as a child when she
first tinkered with her grandmother’s hearing aids. Her personal
experience of how hearing loss impacts the whole family prompted her to
study Communication Science and Disorders at Montclair State University
where she earned both a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in Audiology.
Completing her Clinical Fellowship in 1993 at St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center, Dr. Sommer worked at Riverview Medical Center and JFK Johnson Rehabilitation Center for the next seven years while raising a family.
After joining the Speech & Hearing Department at RWJBH in 2000, Dr. Sommer was encouraged to continue her education and went back to earn her Doctorate in Audiology from Salus University, formerly known as the Pennsylvania College of Optometry.
As an audiologist, Dr. Sommer works with all age groups of patients with varying hearing and balance disorders. Her areas of special interest include geriatrics, tinnitus, and community speaking.
When not looking in ears, Dr. Sommer loves to spend time with friends and family down the Jersey Shore and up in the Berkshires. She and her husband recently discovered cruising and sing karaoke every weekend like they’re American Idols!
She currently holds a Certification of Clinical Competence in Audiology from the American Speech and Hearing Association and is licensed in the State of New Jersey as an Audiologist and a Hearing Aid Dispenser.