DOCTORS OF INTEREST
The INFECTIOUS DISEASE
68
SPECIALIST
Treasure Coast Medical Report
For Dr. Moti Ramgopal, being an infectious disease
specialist is all about saving lives. He believes in
improving the health of a community by taking care
of it, one patient at a time. Driven by his altruism, a strong
work ethic, and a lot of grit and compassion, he has been
advancing infectious disease medicine for 20 years.
Ramgopal’s tireless devotion to providing quality medical
care is a labor of love and has not gone unnoticed. He was
awarded the Health Care Champion by Scripps Treasure
Coast Newspapers; the Frist Humanitarian Award from HCA
Hospitals; and the FSU Guardian of the Mission Award.
“I think medicine is beautiful. Practicing medicine is an
extraordinary gift,” Ramgopal says. “I feel it’s a blessing.”
Born in Guyana, Ramgopal was introduced to infectious
disease medicine as a young child when he developed meningitis.
He became very sick, experienced horrific headaches,
and almost died. He made a full recovery, but those early
ANTHONY INSWASTY PHOTOS
hospital memories etched a lasting impression on his life.
While in high school, he pondered which career path he
should take. The son of a lawyer, he applied to law school,
but he was also drawn to medicine, and applied there, too.
When both schools announced his acceptance, he arrived at a
fork in the road.
“For some strange reason, I gravitated towards medicine,”
he notes. “I completely believe that’s the direction that a
higher power wanted me to take. I ended up at the University
of the West Indies on a government scholarship because
of my credentials and grades. So, here I was at 19 going into
medical school.”
After graduating from medical school in 1989, Ramgopal
moved to the Bahamas where he began working with HIV
patients.
“In that time period, if you had HIV, you were left to die,”
he recalls. “There were patients there who nobody wanted
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Dr. Moti Ramgopal, a leading infectious disease specialist, is passionate about providing top medical care on the Treasure Coast.
BY DONNA CRARY