lupus erythematosus which I had diagnosed as vitiligo, and thus, my fascination for the subject started.

In 1986, Dr. Gopinathan retired from Calicut Medical College in 1986. Even several years after his retirement, Dr. Gopinathan continued to be worried about the state of undergraduate teaching in dermatovenereology in medical colleges and often spoke of the need for reorganizing the teaching curriculum and schedules.

He was the recipient of many honors including Dr. Ambadi Oration Award (1980), Non-Resident Fellow -- American Academy of Dermatology (1983), Founder Fellow of IMA Academy of Medical Specialties (1982), Fellow of Madras Medical College (1985), Best Doctor Award Calicut IMA (1997), Prof. KC Khandari Lifetime Achievement Award by National IADVL (2001), and Prof. Sehgal Award for Excellence in Dermatology (2009).

He was the Founder President of theKerala Branch of IADVL in 1982. He held the post of National Secretary and President of IADVL. He was closely associated with the IMA and was instrumental in starting the IMA Academy of Specialties. He was also instrumental in organizing groups of dermatologists (district-based) for both social interactions as well as exchanging academic ideas. He was the founder of such a club, The Malabar Dermatology Club, to bring together practitioners from the five northern districts of Kerala and academia from the medical colleges. He had mooted the idea of special interest groups\' way back in the 1980s, with an aim of conducting in-depth studies on specialized subject. Such academic endeavors have now become popular all over India.

With the loss of Dr. T. Gopinathan, dermatology has lost a guiding