Employee Spotlight

John Nwafor

As an integral piece of the Rowan-Virtua SOM Admissions team, John oversees the recruitment and outreach efforts for prospective students. In addition to working with students regarding application advisement, John develops institutional programming alongside internal and external faculty, and his colleagues at SOM. In his role, John actively builds brand awareness for Rowan-Virtua SOM and shares his extensive knowledge and experience with the staff he oversees at the medical school.

Learn more about John, in his own words:

How long have you worked for Rowan Virtua SOM?
I’ve worked at Rowan-Virtua SOM for a little over two years.

What do you enjoy most about your job?
What I enjoy most about my job is having direct interaction with the students when they apply. Providing guidance and a game plan for them, as well as hearing their stories on why they want to become physicians.

Do you have a favorite memory or project from your role with your unit?
My favorite project was developing a new institutional event, Community Health & Diversity Day. This event brought together the SOM community, along with the USAF, to provide prospective students information on how SOM prepares students to get involved in providing patient centered care in the South Jersey/Greater Philadelphia region.

What is the best part of your workday?
The best part of my workday is working with my admissions team colleagues. The admissions team is a dynamic group of individuals who work hard to source great students for Rowan-Virtua SOM.

Who is your biggest role model and why?
My biggest role model is Michael Jordan. I’m a huge sports fan, and Michael was the ultimate competitor. He was very detail oriented and focused when it came to his preparation for games. I use that same mindset and methodology when it comes to my various work assignments.

What do you enjoy doing in your free time, outside of work?
Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with my wife and children. I am very involved with my children’s activities. I coach some of their recreation league teams, in addition to taking part in their school activities. I also enjoy going out to eat. My wife and I routinely frequent the Philadelphia restaurant scene.

What is your favorite movie, book, or band/singer/songwriter and why?
My favorite book is, “7 Habits of Highly Effective People” by Stephen Covey. I read this book early in my career and it changed my perspective on how to react and assess various situations when dealing with people. In my role, I have to adapt to different personalities, as well as communicate effectively. Stephen Covey outlined some great tips to do this in his book.

What are some of your hidden talents?
My hidden talent is being a highly skilled traveler. I travel throughout the country in my role in admissions. I’ve also traveled to over 15 countries (and counting) in my life. In the last three years I’ve traveled to over eight countries, most recently to the UAE – Dubai.