Biology Senior Ethan Wilkins Heading to UAB Heersink School of Medicine

Ethan Wilkins and Dr. Heda examine lab data.

Ethan Wilkins, a senior biology major in the Department of Sciences and Mathematics, will be entering the Heersink School of Medicine at the University of Alabama, Birmingham, in Fall 2026 as a first-year medical student.

Ethan, a resident of Vernon, Alabama, got offers of admission to multiple medical schools in Alabama, but chose the Heerink School of Medicine, which is Alabama’s top-rated medical school and is ranked nationally.

Ethan is currently serving as President of the MUW Student Government Association, and is a member of the Honor’s College.

Four shots of Ethan Wilkins explaining a research poster at a research conference.

Part of what made Ethan a strong candidate when applying to medical schools was the independent research he has been doing for the past two years on cystic fibrosis in the lab of Dr. Ghanshyam Heda, Professor of Biology in the Dept. of Sciences and Mathematics. Ethan has presented his research at conferences and symposia.

Ethan is the seventh student from Dr. Heda’s research lab to have gone on to medical school from their undergraduate degree at MUW.