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Where Are They Now? - Zach Wichner
10/27/2019 12:00:00 PM | Football
BOCA RATON, Fla. – Howard Schnellenberger sent more than 100 players to the NFL over his renowned coaching career, but none to medical school.
Until Florida Atlantic University offensive lineman Zach Wichner.
Wichner, who played for the Owls from 2003-2007, earned his Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree from Nova Southeastern University in 2012. He's now a pediatric cardiac anesthesiologist at Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital.
And while Wichner's degree only lists his name, he recognizes that Schnellenberger and several FAU faculty members were integral in making it happen.
"They were very open to me trying to get into med school, and they understood that I probably had a higher course load than some of the other athletes," said Wichner, whose teammates jokingly nicknamed the witch doctor.
To accommodate that course load – which included the likes of biology and organic chemistry – Schnellenberger allowed Wichner to leave practice and meetings early when necessary.
That mindset was incongruous with the one Wichner's high school teachers had. Back then, they told him, "there was no such thing as a student-athlete. You're an athlete or a student."
But Wichner didn't want to choose. He thought there was a gray area between being a "dumb jock" and a "nerd," so he went to FAU to find it.
"I went there as a student-athlete," Wichner said. "I did the best I could with football and working out, I did everything I was supposed to do and more. But I also went there knowing I was getting a free education, and to try to network and see what I can get out of this."
He got the most out of both.
Wichner attended two-hour study hall sessions regularly his first couple years on campus, even when they weren't mandatory. He met with FAU professors for advice on his career and post-graduate studies. And he also guided the Owls to a win in the 2007 New Orleans Bowl, the first bowl appearance in program history.
The day before his team's historic win, Wichner enjoyed one of his own: his acceptance to medical school. And while he was "ecstatic" in the moment, Wichner realized the choice he dreaded making – between football and his education – was suddenly unavoidable.
Since he redshirted as a freshman, Wichner had a year of eligibility remaining. He wanted to use it to go to another bowl game and possibly the NFL. But Wichner also knew how hard it was to get the acceptance, and consequently, pursued the opportunity.
"From a young age I always wanted to go to medical school, I always wanted to be in a hospital at some point," Wichner said. "And I knew when I had to make that decision of accepting my acceptance to med school or [playing] my fifth year…it's hard to think about. But I knew that I wasn't giving up on football, I was just moving on. I was moving forward with my life, with my career."
In 2012, Wichner's decision paid off with a degree. He then sought work through the National Resident Matching Program, a system placing medical school graduates into residency training programs across the U.S. The only problem: he had no matches.
"Oh great, I have $200,000 in debt, and I don't have a program where I can eventually work. What am I going to do?" Wichner recalls thinking.
To improve his odds, as he was initially targeting an orthopedics program, Wichner added anesthesiology to his search. There he found, and took, an opening at Larkin Community Hospital in South Miami.
Wichner instantly connected with the field because it reminded him of his football career. Anesthesiologists provide medication to reduce patients' pain levels throughout the surgical process, but they don't garner the same recognition as surgeons. He compares that to quarterbacks getting credit for passing touchdowns instead of the linemen blocking, who he calls the "unsung heroe s."
"You don't get the praise, and you definitely get the blame," Wichner said.
Since completing his residency in 2016, Wichner's been a pediatric anesthesiologist at the University of Minnesota, Boston Children's Hospital, University of Miami and now Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital.
Wichner's colleagues commend him for his unflappable, emotionless demeanor during stressful situations. And he developed that as an FAU football player.
"You have to have thick skin to be able to take a lot of criticism, and football took that too," Wichner said. "There's ups and downs, there's praise when you do right, and they let you know when you do wrong, and that's the kind of environment I needed.
"And that's what kind of drove me to what I ended up being," Wichner continued. "I picked a harder field and harder places to get into, and that's how they were. They expected high [performance], and if you did something wrong, they told you to your face. And I saw people who would shut down and get quiet, but it's definitely something I enjoyed, positive and negative criticism."
Wichner was Schnellenberger's first player to attend medical school, but not the last. Robert St. Clair and Marcus Bartels, two of Wichner's college teammates, took that same path.
To Wichner, the trend isn't a coincidence.
"I think the school - the counselors and the football team - they really helped push me into it, too, to make sure I could get this done," Wichner said. "… So, it was a good feeling that I was first, but I thank them for helping me make this dream come true.
"I did it first, and I think other people realized, 'Hey, it's possible.'"
Wichner wants medical school to remain a possibility for FAU's student-athletes and is mentoring those interested in it, including current standout wide receiver John Mitchell.
The two spoke earlier this season about admissions, balancing classwork with football, and what life in the medical field is like.
And despite the long hours Wichner works at the hospital, he always finds time for those types of conversations. He views them as opportunities to give back to FAU, the university that helped get him to where he is today.
"FAU helped me out so much," Wichner said. "I have no problem helping them out."
Until Florida Atlantic University offensive lineman Zach Wichner.
Wichner, who played for the Owls from 2003-2007, earned his Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree from Nova Southeastern University in 2012. He's now a pediatric cardiac anesthesiologist at Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital.
And while Wichner's degree only lists his name, he recognizes that Schnellenberger and several FAU faculty members were integral in making it happen.
"They were very open to me trying to get into med school, and they understood that I probably had a higher course load than some of the other athletes," said Wichner, whose teammates jokingly nicknamed the witch doctor.
To accommodate that course load – which included the likes of biology and organic chemistry – Schnellenberger allowed Wichner to leave practice and meetings early when necessary.
That mindset was incongruous with the one Wichner's high school teachers had. Back then, they told him, "there was no such thing as a student-athlete. You're an athlete or a student."
But Wichner didn't want to choose. He thought there was a gray area between being a "dumb jock" and a "nerd," so he went to FAU to find it.
"I went there as a student-athlete," Wichner said. "I did the best I could with football and working out, I did everything I was supposed to do and more. But I also went there knowing I was getting a free education, and to try to network and see what I can get out of this."
He got the most out of both.
Wichner attended two-hour study hall sessions regularly his first couple years on campus, even when they weren't mandatory. He met with FAU professors for advice on his career and post-graduate studies. And he also guided the Owls to a win in the 2007 New Orleans Bowl, the first bowl appearance in program history.
The day before his team's historic win, Wichner enjoyed one of his own: his acceptance to medical school. And while he was "ecstatic" in the moment, Wichner realized the choice he dreaded making – between football and his education – was suddenly unavoidable.
Since he redshirted as a freshman, Wichner had a year of eligibility remaining. He wanted to use it to go to another bowl game and possibly the NFL. But Wichner also knew how hard it was to get the acceptance, and consequently, pursued the opportunity.
"From a young age I always wanted to go to medical school, I always wanted to be in a hospital at some point," Wichner said. "And I knew when I had to make that decision of accepting my acceptance to med school or [playing] my fifth year…it's hard to think about. But I knew that I wasn't giving up on football, I was just moving on. I was moving forward with my life, with my career."
In 2012, Wichner's decision paid off with a degree. He then sought work through the National Resident Matching Program, a system placing medical school graduates into residency training programs across the U.S. The only problem: he had no matches.
"Oh great, I have $200,000 in debt, and I don't have a program where I can eventually work. What am I going to do?" Wichner recalls thinking.
To improve his odds, as he was initially targeting an orthopedics program, Wichner added anesthesiology to his search. There he found, and took, an opening at Larkin Community Hospital in South Miami.
Wichner instantly connected with the field because it reminded him of his football career. Anesthesiologists provide medication to reduce patients' pain levels throughout the surgical process, but they don't garner the same recognition as surgeons. He compares that to quarterbacks getting credit for passing touchdowns instead of the linemen blocking, who he calls the "unsung heroe s."
"You don't get the praise, and you definitely get the blame," Wichner said.
Since completing his residency in 2016, Wichner's been a pediatric anesthesiologist at the University of Minnesota, Boston Children's Hospital, University of Miami and now Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital.
Wichner's colleagues commend him for his unflappable, emotionless demeanor during stressful situations. And he developed that as an FAU football player.
"You have to have thick skin to be able to take a lot of criticism, and football took that too," Wichner said. "There's ups and downs, there's praise when you do right, and they let you know when you do wrong, and that's the kind of environment I needed.
"And that's what kind of drove me to what I ended up being," Wichner continued. "I picked a harder field and harder places to get into, and that's how they were. They expected high [performance], and if you did something wrong, they told you to your face. And I saw people who would shut down and get quiet, but it's definitely something I enjoyed, positive and negative criticism."
Wichner was Schnellenberger's first player to attend medical school, but not the last. Robert St. Clair and Marcus Bartels, two of Wichner's college teammates, took that same path.
To Wichner, the trend isn't a coincidence.
"I think the school - the counselors and the football team - they really helped push me into it, too, to make sure I could get this done," Wichner said. "… So, it was a good feeling that I was first, but I thank them for helping me make this dream come true.
"I did it first, and I think other people realized, 'Hey, it's possible.'"
Wichner wants medical school to remain a possibility for FAU's student-athletes and is mentoring those interested in it, including current standout wide receiver John Mitchell.
The two spoke earlier this season about admissions, balancing classwork with football, and what life in the medical field is like.
And despite the long hours Wichner works at the hospital, he always finds time for those types of conversations. He views them as opportunities to give back to FAU, the university that helped get him to where he is today.
"FAU helped me out so much," Wichner said. "I have no problem helping them out."
Players Mentioned
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