Meet Nneka I. Comfere, M.D. (MED ’01, I1 ’02, DERM ’05, DPTH ’06), the new Juanita Kious Waugh Executive Dean of Education and dean of the Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine.
When Nneka I. Comfere, M.D., walked into Mayo Clinic in Rochester in 1997 as an incoming medical student, she immediately felt at home.
It was a homecoming that echoed the values of her upbringing 6,500 miles away in Zaria, Kaduna State, in northern Nigeria, Africa. The values that she grew up with and that Dr. Comfere’s parents had ingrained in her were the importance of respect, integrity, compassion, healing, teamwork, innovation, empathy and stewardship — the same RICH TIES values of Mayo — though they were articulated differently.
“I walked through the doors, and it felt like home away from Mayo Clinic Alumni home,” Dr. Comfere says. “The staff shared similar values, and they were all anchored in the mission — the needs of the patient come first — and shared a sense of purpose. I just knew that this was the place where I wanted to train.”
Her expertise, skills and experience have catapulted Dr. Comfere to the highest role in shaping the next generation of healthcare professionals. She was recently appointed as the new Juanita Kious Waugh Executive Dean of Education and dean of the Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine — a service she sees as an opportunity to give back to the institution that has given her so much.
Early days
Although Dr. Comfere was born in Tallahassee, Florida, her family moved to Nigeria when she was three years old to help rebuild the country after a recent civil war. A daughter of a professor of biochemistry (her father) and a university administrator (her mother), Dr. Comfere’s interest in science blossomed at an early age. She would spend time after school in her father’s office examining organic chemistry models of molecules or poring through his hefty medical atlases and textbooks, which contained medical illustrations.
“I was fascinated by the varied presentations of disease,” Dr. Comfere says.
After attending St. Louis College secondary school in Jos, Plateau State, she enrolled in Ahmadu Bello University, a six-year medical school in Zaria. However, the political unrest in Nigeria made it impossible for her to complete medical school there.
Making it to the premier destination for medicine
After her parents made the difficult decision to leave Nigeria and move back to the U.S., Dr. Comfere enrolled in Florida State University, where she received an undergraduate degree in biochemistry. Though her medical aspirations developed in Nigeria, Dr. Comfere knew of Mayo Clinic as the “premier destination for medicine,” where people from all over the world seek answers to their complex medical conditions. She applied and was accepted to medical school at Mayo Clinic and, from day 1, her experience far exceeded her expectations.
“The staff shared similar values, and they were all anchored in the mission — the needs of the patient come first — and shared a sense of purpose. I just knew that this was the place where I wanted to train.”
– Nneka I. Comfere, M.D.
Following medical school, Dr. Comfere completed her dermatology residency and dermatopathology fellowship at the Mayo Clinic School of Graduate Medical Education. She also is a Kern Scholar alumna of the Robert D. and Patricia E. Kern Center for the Science of Health Care Delivery research program. Dr. Comfere is a professor of Dermatology and of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, a consultant in Dermatology and Pathology, and chair of the Division of Dermatopathology and Cutaneous Immunopathology in the Department of Dermatology at Mayo Clinic in Rochester.
Lessons learned from many
Dr. Comfere credits her success to the many faculty and colleagues she has encountered at Mayo Clinic.
“I’ve been surrounded by inspiring, dedicated, committed mentors, and administrative partners — numerous people who have shaped my professional development,” she says. “We are incredibly privileged to have such a collaborative atmosphere that allows us to build deep relationships that transcend hierarchy or type of position.”
Of all the lessons she has learned along the way, she is most anchored by the strong sense of purpose behind the work that is consistently geared toward meeting the needs of patients. Mayo’s primary value — the needs of the patient come first — is tangible and evident in the way the staff at Mayo Clinic go about their work, which includes teamwork and collaboration, Dr. Comfere says.
“No one does it better than we do,” Dr. Comfere says. “We all come from different backgrounds with different perspectives and have had different sets of experiences, but each of us has something valuable to offer in service to the patient. Collectively, we’re stronger than any one of us is individually.”
Building on a strong foundation
It’s that same spirit of service and teamwork that Dr. Comfere brings to her new roles as the new Juanita Kious Waugh Executive Dean of Education and dean of the Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine. She succeeds Fredric Meyer, M.D. (NS ’87), who served with distinguished leadership in the position for 10 years.
Dr. Meyer and John Poe, chair of Education Administration, have set a strong foundation in Education, building teams that are passionate about and dedicated to Mayo’s education mission and priorities, Dr. Comfere says. Her goal is to build on that strong foundation.
“There are certain key initiatives that we’ve identified, including a focus on pathway programs, work force of the future, innovation and entrepreneurship,” Dr. Comfere says. “Our success in delivering on the Bold. Forward. mission will require a coalition of forces with the deans of our schools and institutional leaders to help translate the Education shield’s vision into one that reflects the unique strengths of each school and the college at large.”
“We all come from different backgrounds with different perspectives and have had different sets of experiences, but each of us has something valuable to offer in service to the patient. Collectively, we’re stronger than any one of us is individually.”
– Nneka I. Comfere, M.D.
Dr. Comfere aims to create pathway programs in partnership with community schools and organizations so that anyone interested in a healthcare role can see a clear mission-aligned pathway to a long and successful career at Mayo Clinic. As healthcare undergoes a rapid transformation fueled by advancements in digital health and artificial intelligence technologies, Dr. Comfere wants people to be equipped with the right skills to match the pace of change. That means not only educating new students but also providing opportunities for Mayo’s current workforce to acquire new skills.
New tools and technologies are changing the way learners and faculty interact, Dr. Comfere says.
“A lot of information consumption is happening asynchronously, where learners are acquiring that knowledge on their own,” she says. “Faculty are now serving more as coaches and guides to the real-world application of knowledge and to answer questions about edge-case scenarios that may not necessarily be in the textbooks.”
Looking ahead, Dr. Comfere sees innovation and entrepreneurship skills as more important now than ever.
“We have a generation of learners who are hungry for opportunities to design and build solutions that can be translated into practice,” she says.
Beyond engaging learners in such processes, it will be critical to teach leadership skills to young professionals in training so that they can serve as role models and learn to adapt to change, regardless of their roles. Learners will need critical thinking skills and a continuous learning mindset, as well as the ability to lead through uncertainty.
A lasting gift
Dr. Comfere is grateful for the enduring gifts she has received.
“We’ve been given the unique gift of the Mayo Model of Care, and we carry that with us wherever we go,” she says. “It’s a privilege to recognize and share that gift with patients, through the care we provide and to colleagues, within and outside our walls. Our alumni represent an interconnected network that we rely on to support each other and to advance Mayo’s mission and values.”
