Growing up, Dr. R. Duff Sprawls held many jobs: bag boy, lawn boy, car washing and car valet (his personal favorite.) As an adult, he dreamed of becoming a pilot. This being the era of the Vietnam War though meant piloting came with strings he wasn’t prepared to attach. In the end, Sprawls found a home in social work.
After receiving his Bachelor of Arts and Master of Science in social work from the University of Louisville in Kentucky, Sprawls served as an outreach coordinator for Spalding University. He quickly found that social work came with many hindrances and few success stories.
At the age of 33, as the father of a young family, he decided it was time to make a change for the betterment of his family and began to take his pre-med courses with his sight set on attending medical school.
“I wanted to find something that would allow me to make a meaningful impact and do more good for more people,” said Sprawls of his decision.
It wasn’t until his 40s that Sprawls began his medical career. He graduated from the University of Louisville School of Medicine; completed his internship and residency in Internal Medicine at the University of South Florida; and completed his Medical Oncology fellowship at the University of South Florida, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center.
In the early 1990s, after an unlikely patient referral, Sprawls met Space Coast Cancer Center Director Dr. Richard Levine, and was instantly impressed by his character and attention to patient care. In 1992, Sprawls joined the Space Coast Cancer Center family and has been pleased to call it home for over 20 years.
Today, while many physicians may discourage youth from entering the profession due to growing bureaucracy and the current culture of medicine, Sprawls highly recommends it, “Medicine gives you the opportunity to be of service to mankind, to participate in a profession with the highest professional standards, and to experience endlessly fascinating intellectual challenges.”
Dr. Sprawls has dedicated his life to helping patients, but wholeheartedly believes that he has received more from them than he will ever be able to give.
R. Duff Sprawls, M.D., MSW Hematology / Oncology
Space Coast Cancer Center
Locations: Titusville Cancer Center, Merritt Island Cancer Center, Viera Cancer Center®
SpaceCoastCancer.com
(855) 894.HOPE (4673)