Trent Howard, DO

Biography

Trent Howard, DO, joined The Iowa Clinic Cardiothoracic Surgery department in 2024. Growing up in the small town of Milford, Kentucky, Dr. Howard proudly describes himself as a “farm kid,” spending much of his early life raising tobacco and cattle while supporting his family. His thick Southern accent is a reminder of his roots, and his journey to becoming a surgeon took an unconventional path. Before medical school, he worked for over a decade as a firefighter and paramedic, earning a degree in Agricultural Economics along the way. It was his wife’s encouragement that led him to pursue medicine, a career he hadn’t originally considered.