Becker's Clinical Quality & Infection Control

19 PATIENT & CAREGIVER EXPERIENCE 'I've been blessed that I can continue practicing': A Q&A with Dr. Howard Tucker, the world's oldest physician By Cailey Gleeson T here's something very special about neurologist Howard Tucker, MD, who turned 100 on July 10. He teaches medical residents at Cleveland-based St. Vincent Charity Medical Center — and has also held the Guinness World Record for oldest practicing physician since February 2021. Dr. Tucker's medical career began in 1947. Aer serving in World War II and the Korean War, he went on to be a chief neurologist for the Atlantic fleet at a Philadelphia-based U.S. naval hospital during the Korean War. When he's not teaching residents, Dr. Tucker takes on medical-legal expert witness work. He also has four children and 10 grandchildren. A documentary about Dr. Tucker — titled What's Next? — is being produced by one of his grandchildren, Austin. Dr. Tucker spoke with Becker's about the changes he's witnessed during his 75-year career, his biggest accomplishments, advice for young physicians and more. Question: What piqued your interest in medicine? Dr. Howard Tucker: I've always had a desire to help people and I've always had a great fascination with the brain. When I graduated medical school in 1947 aer serving in WWII, the practice of medicine, neurology specifically, was very cerebral. We didn't have imaging tools, like MRI or CT scans back then. You really had to think through a case and take a detailed history in order to fully understand what you were looking at. e challenges of thinking through a case, making a diagnosis, and then being able to help the patient have all kept me interested in medicine and are why I'm still practicing today. Of course, today we have more tools at our disposal to make a diagnosis, but I still teach my residents to take a detailed history upfront, really think through each case, and then use imaging or other technology to confirm the diagnosis. Many people ask me why I don't retire now that I'm 100. My work, engaging with colleagues and residents, and thinking through cases all allow me to keep my brain active, which I believe is crucial. And I really love what I do. Q: How has the healthcare industry changed since you began your career and what is the biggest medical advancement that you have witnessed during your career? HT: Technology has dramatically changed the way we work and how we approach cases. Over the course of my career, CT and MRI were, in my opinion, the biggest advancements. Treatments, too, have come a long way over the past 75 years, but the technology we have at our hands has given us better visibility into the brain and an expedited timeline for making an accurate diagnosis. at being said, I see too many physicians simply order an imaging study and rely solely on the scan to make a diagnosis as opposed to using it as one piece of the puzzle. Technology, despite how far we've come, has limitations, and it is our responsibility as physicians to understand these limitations. Many colleagues of mine retired because they did not want to deal with the technology changes. Technology, especially computers and digital record-keeping, definitely challenges me, but I am, and have been, determined to master it and embrace it in my work. e rate at which new therapies and technologies are evolving astonishes me. Physicians becoming harder to replace as burnout continues, study finds By Kelly Gooch T he Association for Advancing Physician and Provider Recruitment released a study Oct. 18 highlighting the ongoing physician shortage nationwide. The study is based on data representing more than 175 AAPPR member organizations and more than 23,000 searches, more than half specific to physicians. AAPPR said this year's findings showed that the U.S. physician shortage is increasing, affecting recruitment and retention. Six study findings: 1. Nearly half of all physician searches last year (48 percent) were to replace departing physicians. That is up 16 percentage points since AAPPR's 2018 study. 2. Thirty-three percent of physicians cited burnout as the reasoning behind them leaving their organization. 3. Healthcare organizations are increasingly relying on physician assistants and nurse practitioners because there are more candidates, and credentialing is quicker. 4. The percentage of physician searches filled last year decreased for a fourth straight year. 5. Primary care specialties of family medicine, internal medicine and hospital medicine physicians are the most in-demand specialties. 6. Physician positions least likely to be filled last year included otorhinolaryngology, dermatology and urology. n

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