Dr. Rakesh Gupra and Dr. Vineeta Gupta, an Indian-origin doctor couple and philanthropists, donated $500,000 to the Methodist University Cape Fear Valley Health School of Medicine. The university said $100,000 of the entire amount will be immediately available as merit scholarships for students matriculating in 2026 and 2027. The remaining $400,000 is invested as enriched scholarships and awarded to students who meet set criteria at the end of the first year of medical school.The Guptas call the community of Fayetteville, North Carolina home and have been involved in community services for decades. Methodist University is a private university in Fayetteville and Gupta served on the university board for years. Dr. Rakesh Gupta was one of the members who helped formulate the concept of the School of Medicine.The University honored Rakesh Gupta with the Algernon Sidney Sullivan Award and Vinita Gupta with the Mary Mildred Sullivan Award for her continued generous work. These awards, which have been presented since 1925, honor community members who exemplify great character and the hearts of humble servants, and who value service before self-interest.Methodist University President Stanley T. Wearden said, “They have been generous benefactors of MU, including a recent gift of a very large scholarship to the School of Medicine. They are also two of the kindest and most welcoming people I know.”
Who is this Fayetteville community’s favorite doctor couple?
Both Guptas are now retired after long service to the community. Dr. Vineeta is a U.S. Army veteran who served as a pediatrician at Womack Army Medical Center for 25 years. Rakesh Gupta is a gastroenterologist.They met when they were both in medical school in Belgaum, India. After marrying, they moved to New York City, where Rakesh Gupta completed his residency at Lincoln Medical Center in 1985 and his gastroenterology fellowship at the State University of New York-Brooklyn College of Medicine in 1987.Dr. Vineeta completed her residency requirements in pediatrics at Lincoln Medical Center. She joined the Army and in 1989 was assigned to Womack Army Medical Center at Fort Bragg. Rakesh Gupta came to Fayetteville with his wife in 1990 and joined Dr. Wes Jones in private practice, which later became the Cape Fear Center for Digestive Diseases.Gupta has been a member and leader of numerous community boards and organizations, including the Cumberland Community Foundation, Cape Fear Botanical Garden and Better Health, Care Clinic, Child Advocacy Center, and Cape Fear Regional Theatre.In 2010, he helped start the local Hindu Bhavan Temple, where he volunteered and taught Sunday school.His two sons Ashish and Amit are also in the health sector.The senior Gupta said of his donation to the university, “Our journey has been very joyful and enriching. We have made many friends along the way and it is extremely rewarding to give back in a small way and we are grateful for this opportunity.”