Dr. Howard Tucker, 102, the World's Oldest Doctor, Still Wants to Master This One Skill (Exclusive)

Nearly four years after being named the world’s oldest practicing male doctor by Guinness World Records, Dr. Howard Tucker, 102, is the subject of his grandson Austin Tucker’s documentary titled What’s Next? . The film explores the answer to that very question. 

In the documentary, which has its New York City premiere on Nov. 16, Austin, the film’s producer, and director Taylor Taglianetti follow Howard, a neurologist, through some of his daily activities. At the start of filming, that included going into Cleveland's St. Vincent Charity Medical Center, where he taught medical students.

In November 2022, the hospital closed — forcing Howard to go on hiatus from practicing medicine and focus solely on teaching and his medical-law work, as he also has a law degree.  

If it wasn’t for the closure, Howard tells PEOPLE, he’d "absolutely" still be practicing medicine. 

“I thought nothing of it,” Howard shares when asked if he had considered stepping away from practicing before. And although he’s “started putting out feelers” to get a new job in the field, he says, “nobody wants me at my age."

“But I'll keep trying," he says.

Despite this setback and others he’s faced over his life, Howard “always looks forward," Taglianetti says. “That's what's so apt about the title — he doesn't dwell.”

“I can't say I know anyone else who really adapts that attitude to the extent that Howard has,” she adds. 

And part of that adapting has been continuing on his journey to learn technology — another aspect of his life that's documented on screen. 

“At 102, I'm no better now than I was at 99 on those computers,” Howard says, referencing his age while shooting. 

But he’s keeping at it. In fact, "taking a decent course in computers" is on his bucket list. 

“Because I took a course about five years ago — it was no good," he says. "They taught me 'Who did this in 1942 about computers,' and I wasn't interested in this. I would be wanting to become commanding, do it on my own.... So that's my next project.”

His commitment to learning the new skill is part of what inspired Taglianetti to seek him out as her first feature subject following her graduation from NYU Tisch. That and, of course, his continued commitment to his patients, even in the face of the pandemic. 

In 2020, while much of the world — especially the older population — was quarantined and taking all measures possible to protect themselves from COVID-19, Dr. Tucker was sneaking out to treat patients. Though many would be shocked to hear that a near-centenarian grandparent was doing such a thing, to Austin it was “just another day for grandpa.”

“With the pandemic, I had seen how many older people we lost, and with them, their stories. I was really profoundly affected by that,” Taglianetti, who attended college with Austin, tells PEOPLE.  “When I saw the total opposite of that happening, Howard going out on the front lines and saving lives in the hospital, I just said I had to drop everything and this was what my project — my lifelong dream — was going to be.”

"We haven't stopped since," she says. "And I couldn't ask for a better hero and role model in my life than Howard."

What’s Next? will have its New York premiere at DOC NYC on Nov. 16 at 4:15pm EST at Village East by Angelika with a second screening on Nov. 21 at the same time. Following the premiere screening, Howard, Taglianetti, Austin and the film’s editor, Gaylen Ross, will take part in a Q&A. You can purchase tickets to attend a screening — or stream the film online between Nov. 17 and Dec. 1 — here.