Stephen John Sommer, M.S., M.D., FAAFP
Philosophy:
Provider and patient work as a team. The foundation of this partnership is trust. You must trust us enough to share all your expectations about the kind of care you want from us, and provide us with all the information you have about your body, mind and health status. Together we will develop a plan to keep you healthy or cure “what ails you.”
The practice is grounded in Western medicine, but we believe that no one health care modality offers all the “answers.” We believe that there is wisdom in many healing belief systems. Dr. Sommer has an interest in holistic medicine, and will often supplement his Western approach and prescription medications with complementary or alternative treatments such as acupuncture, massage, dietary supplements or herbs.
Professional History:
Dr. Sommer earned his BS in Zoology, MS in Cellular Biology, and MD from the University of Nebraska. He completed his internship and trained in Internal Medicine at Kaiser, Oakland. Dr. Sommer has been the owner of Avenue Family Practice since 1975. Dr.
Sommer is a specialist, board certified by the American Academy of
Family Physicians. Family Practitioners are required to take hundreds
of hours of continuing education, far more than is required to maintain a
medical license in California, or to maintain a specialty certification
in many other specialties. Their combination of experience and
continual education means Dr. Sommer has both a
historical perspective and is knowledgeable about the most up to date
advances and therapies in their field. General Practice is a very old
term for MDs without training in a specialty.
Personal Profile:
Dr. Sommer was born, raised and educated in Lincoln, Nebraska...Go BIG RED! He moved to the bay area as an intern and never left, hardly even looked back. Dr. Sommer and his wife, Suzanne, have 3 adult daughters: a midwife, an attorney, and the "baby" who is working on her master's degree in recreation. His interests include gardening, biking, and cooking.