Howard Tucker

Last updated
Howard Tucker
Born (1922-07-10) July 10, 1922 (age 102)
Alma mater Ohio State University College of Medicine
Known for Oldest practicing doctor
Spouse
Sara Siegel
(m. 1957)
Children4
Medical career
ProfessionNeurologist
Institutions St. Vincent Charity Medical Center

Howard Tucker (born July 10, 1922) is an American neurologist who has been practicing medicine since 1947. In addition to becoming a lawyer and passing the Ohio Bar Examination at age 67 in 1989, Tucker is recognized by Guinness World Records as the current oldest practicing doctor. [1] [2]

Contents

Early life and education

Howard Tucker was born in Cleveland, Ohio. Tucker decided to pursue a career in medicine while attending Cleveland Heights High School. After graduating high school in 1940, Tucker attended Ohio State University for his undergraduate studies and Ohio State University College of Medicine for his Doctor of Medicine degree. [3]

Tucker enlisted in the United States Navy during World War II and would later serve as Chief of Neurology for the Atlantic Fleet during the Korean War. [4]

Medical career

Tucker completed his residency at the Cleveland Clinic and training at the Neurological Institute of New York before returning to Cleveland, where he would practice neurology at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center and Hillcrest Hospital for over seven decades. While still practicing neurology, Tucker attended Cleveland State University Cleveland–Marshall College of Law where he received his Juris Doctor degree and passed the Ohio Bar Examination at age 67 in 1989. [3] [5]

In 1960, Tucker was credited with solving a medical case involving two young girls who would go in and out of coma. Tucker determined the cause of the comas to be barbiturate poisoning. [6]

Tucker teaches medical residents at St. Vincent Charity Medical Center and pursues work as an expert witness for various medical-legal cases. [7] In 2021, Tucker was recognized as the oldest practicing doctor by Guinness World Records. [7]

Personal life

In 1957, Tucker married Sara "Sue" Siegel. As of 2023, 89-year-old Siegel continues to practice medicine as a psychoanalyst. The couple have four children and ten grandchildren. [4]

A feature documentary on Tucker's life and career, What's Next?, is currently in production and is being produced by Tucker's grandson, Austin Tucker, and directed and produced by Taylor Taglianetti. [1]

In April 2023, he contributed a piece to CNBC on five important pieces of life advice: staying active and not spending his days retired, staying in shape, not smoking, not restricting himself to a narrow number of activities, and not letting the vast knowledge and changes he's seen be wasted.

Related Research Articles

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Neurology is the branch of medicine dealing with the diagnosis and treatment of all categories of conditions and disease involving the nervous system, which comprises the brain, the spinal cord and the peripheral nerves. Neurological practice relies heavily on the field of neuroscience, the scientific study of the nervous system.

A psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in psychiatry. Psychiatrists are physicians who evaluate patients to determine whether their symptoms are the result of a physical illness, a combination of physical and mental ailments or strictly mental issues. Sometimes a psychiatrist works within a multi-disciplinary team, which may comprise clinical psychologists, social workers, occupational therapists, and nursing staff. Psychiatrists have broad training in a biopsychosocial approach to the assessment and management of mental illness.

Clinical neurophysiology is a medical specialty that studies the central and peripheral nervous systems through the recording of bioelectrical activity, whether spontaneous or stimulated. It encompasses both research regarding the pathophysiology along with clinical methods used to diagnose diseases involving both central and peripheral nervous systems. Examinations in the clinical neurophysiology field are not limited to tests conducted in a laboratory. It is thought of as an extension of a neurologic consultation. Tests that are conducted are concerned with measuring the electrical functions of the brain, spinal cord, and nerves in the limbs and muscles. It can give the precise definition of site, the type and degree of the lesion, along with revealing the abnormalities that are in question. Due to these abilities, clinical neurophysiology is used to mainly help diagnose diseases rather than treat them.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cleveland Heights High School</span> Public, coeducational high school in Cleveland Heights, Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States

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Electrodiagnosis (EDX) is a method of medical diagnosis that obtains information about diseases by passively recording the electrical activity of body parts or by measuring their response to external electrical stimuli. The most widely used methods of recording spontaneous electrical activity are various forms of electrodiagnostic testing (electrography) such as electrocardiography (ECG), electroencephalography (EEG), and electromyography (EMG). Electrodiagnostic medicine is a medical subspecialty of neurology, clinical neurophysiology, cardiology, and physical medicine and rehabilitation. Electrodiagnostic physicians apply electrophysiologic techniques, including needle electromyography and nerve conduction studies to diagnose, evaluate, and treat people with impairments of the neurologic, neuromuscular, and/or muscular systems. The provision of a quality electrodiagnostic medical evaluation requires extensive scientific knowledge that includes anatomy and physiology of the peripheral nerves and muscles, the physics and biology of the electrical signals generated by muscle and nerve, the instrumentation used to process these signals, and techniques for clinical evaluation of diseases of the peripheral nerves and sensory pathways.

References

  1. 1 2 "'There are oceans beyond our understanding': 100-year-old Cleveland doctor is still going to work". wkyc.com. July 11, 2022. Retrieved 2022-07-16.
  2. "Oldest practising doctor". Guinness World Records. Retrieved 2022-07-16.
  3. 1 2 Mott, Kristen (8 July 2022). "At 100, Tucker US' oldest practicing physician – with no sign of slowing down". Cleveland Jewish News. Retrieved 2022-07-16.
  4. 1 2 "100-year-old neurologist still practicing medicine". WEWS. 2022-07-08. Retrieved 2022-07-16.
  5. "A 100-year-old Jewish doctor in Cleveland is officially the world's oldest practicing physician". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. 2022-07-18. Retrieved 2022-07-18.
  6. "Chemist To Take Stand In Sleeping Beauty Case". The Marion Star . 1960. p. 12.
  7. 1 2 Jordan, Jennifer (2022-07-14). "100-year-old Cleveland neurologist still working, breaking records". WKBN.com. Retrieved 2022-07-18.