Hi! My name is Jordan Campbell, and I am majoring in Biology while pursuing minors in Linguistics and Evolutionary Anthropology. On campus, I’m a member of the Pre-Dental Society, and I have been researching zebrafish tissue regeneration in the Poss Lab since the start of my sophomore year. I am also on the Healthcare Committee for Duke’s Chapter of the NAACP and serve as the President of the Kappa Omicron Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated. My hope is to attend dental school and potentially continue research after graduating.
As a child, my dental hygienist would allow me to assist her as she cleaned my siblings’ teeth. I was amazed watching her simultaneously ensure my siblings were comfortable, carry on a conversation, and use such small tools to effect dramatic changes. I, of course, couldn’t help but to feel equally as skilled as I handed her the dental instruments. My excitement in those moments and the eagerness I had when it was time to tell my friends at school the following day are memories that I have always cherished. They have lingered as time has progressed, in turn causing me to lean toward dentistry as a career. That oral healthcare is often neglected in our society deeply concerns me as well. People often do not realize how significantly linked systemic health issues are to poor oral health, and growing up in a rural area especially has offered me many chances to notice this. As a dentist, I hope to aid in promoting better overall healthcare among medically underserved communities and get directly involved with the work being done in relation to oral health. I also believe that my research could be applied to regenerative dentistry, so I am considering further investigating related ideas in my graduate studies and beyond while being a practicing clinician.
“The Cardea Fellows Program is an incredible opportunity for pre-health students. Cardea not only accentuates your interests in healthcare and helps to increase proficiency in STEM subjects, but it also fosters an amazing community of students who hope for your success as much as their own.”
