The “TikTok Doc” danced his way into a viral sensation in early April, showing off some fancy footwork that landed him on network television and millions of social media feeds.
“This is me every day,” Dr. Jason Campbell, also known as the TikTok Doc, told 10TV Morning News anchor Angela An. “This is me in my most authentic self, maybe humming a tune or dancing a step or two.”
By the way, the TikTok Doc is a Buckeye.
“Yes, I am an Ohio State guy. I love it,” says the 2018 graduate from the Ohio State College of Medicine.
Ohio State fans will notice Campbell sporting a Brutus Buckeye scrub hat or an Ohio State logo on his scrubs from time to time while he’s bustin’ a move to a new video on TikTok or Instagram.
Campbell says becoming a Buckeye was a dream come true, which is why he empathizes with the seniors who won’t experience the same commencement experience he did.
“The fact that this year, the med schools did not have graduation, it almost pulled out my heart,” Campbell says with sincere anguish as he recalled walking across the graduation stage not too long ago.
“To hear them say ‘Dr. Jason Campbell,’ I still have goose bumps and a tear to my eye, especially at such a great institution as Ohio State.”
Campbell, an anesthesiology resident at Oregon Health and Science University, says it was easy to get his colleagues to dance along.
“At first it was a little tricky,” he says. “But people like and I like it. It makes me feel good, makes my soul feel good so we can keep doing it.”
Campbell also says his patients enjoy it, which is a priority, especially given the circumstances surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic.
“In anesthesia, it’s a vulnerable time, everyone is scared, unsure, they want to wake up, they want to be safe in surgery procedure,” he explains. “I’ve been there, many people have and so you just want to comfort any way you can, so I realized this was one way I could.”
Campbell says the reason he started dancing was to help increase the number of followers on Instagram so his account would allow a swipe up function that would take fans to his blog.
A quick glance will show you that this TikTok Doc is on a mission to help people beyond medicine.
“It’s a chance to highlight issues important to me and issues important to others that don’t have a platform that I do,” Campbell explains about the topics on his blog.
The current coronavirus pandemic has shed light on the health disparities in the country, which Campbell says is an issue that needs to be addressed.
“That has also opened eyes to things we need to work on, barriers we need to continue to break down and gaps we need to continue moving forward,” he adds. “It’s not just about dancing. It’s about bringing people together, discussing issues, black men in medicine, black fatherhood, women in leadership, issues important in the world — change for myself.”
Campbell says that change begins with surrounding yourself with people who believe in you, people who will “coach you up”, and people who help you take those baby steps to fight for your dreams.
It’s why he mentors the next generation with one message: “I tell anyone — if you see yourself in a role, that’s what you can be one day.”
As for dancing, Campbell says he never gets tired of shaking a leg or two.
“I’ve been dancing since 7th, 8th grade,” he says with a chuckle.
"I did junior hip hop dance squad for the Washington Mystics in the 8th grade. They were WNBA and they didn’t have cheerleaders. They had us,” he adds.
Campbell says maybe one day he’ll come back to the Midwest, although he calls Washington, D.C. home. But he did want Buckeye Nation to know this:
“I’m a proud alumnus of The OSU College of Medicine. I’m proud of all Ohioans for flattening the curve and continuing the social distance and realizing we are stronger together.”
#GoBucks.
