Ohio Man Is 'World's Oldest Practicing Doctor' With No Plans To Retire

Howard Tucker has been a doctor for the last 75 years and counting, and he has no plans to retire. According to Guinness World Records, at age 100, the Cleveland-based doctor is the world's oldest practicing doctor.

So how did he get here?

Tucker told Guinness World Records that he knew this to be his path since high school, and he soon obtained a degree in medicine from The Ohio State University. From there, Tucker enlisted in the Navy during WWII as the "Chief of Neurology" for the Atlantic Fleet.

His passion for medicine and helping others continued after the war when Tucker took a job as the neurology instructor at "The Neurological Institute of New York / Columbia Medical Center." Guinness World Records mentioned that it was here where Tucker met his wife Sue, who was one of his students. Despite the many challenges of the field, Tucker enjoys solving cases.

"I get excited when I see something medically in a case that I haven’t seen in decades and enjoy making a diagnosis on challenging cases," the doctor shared with Guinness World Records. At age 100, he is a survivor of Covid19 and even went to the hospital during the peak of the pandemic in 2020 to treat patients.

"I truly love what I do so going into the hospital to treat my patients was a no-brainer."

When asked about retirement plans, Tucker explained to Guinness World Records that he never plans to retire, and that he enjoys mastering the new technology. He also shared that the key to his longevity has been his family, and simply treating everyone with kindness.