My name is Jordan Jenkins and while I moved around a bit growing up, I’ve spent most of my life in Utah. My time is mostly spent with my fiancé and our new puppy, focusing on school, or playing volleyball. Becoming a dentist has been a dream of mine for years and I’m excited to be in this field and almost done with my degree.
I was in my last year of high school when I decided I wanted to be a dentist. I had a lot of dental work as a kid because I had a huge sweet tooth (and let’s be honest, I still do), but I was able to see firsthand how dental work could affect my confidence and health. I had done a lot of pottery in high school and really enjoyed my science classes so dentistry seemed to be where all of that came together. It’s an artistic science where we can help drastically change peoples’ lives and I love that. I’ve already had so many experiences in dental school of what quality dentistry can do for people and I’m eager to continue working in my community to help other people.
I completed my undergrad at the University of Utah with a BA in Biology and a minor in Ceramics. I thought for sure I’d be leaving Utah for dental school but after interviewing here I knew I couldn’t pass up such an incredible opportunity. I have loved the clinical experience I’ve gotten and the focus our school has on making an impact in the community. The University of Utah healthcare system places a big emphasis on providing equitable care to everyone regardless of who they are and that’s something that has been very important to me. As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, I have experienced firsthand some of the disparity in healthcare and it has further driven me to ensure that everyone I treat feels like they are getting the highest quality of care. While we have made a lot of progress as a society in reducing prejudice and stigmas, we can all still collectively work together to extinguish these completely. I hope to play my part in this and make a positive impact on my patients’ lives for the rest of my career. I’m grateful to the University of Utah for giving me the opportunity to start helping people in a whole new capacity and can’t wait for what the future holds.