The resident hippie is in

By Marconi Calindas
Reporter

If you ever had a medical check-up done at the Marianas Medical Center in San Antonio, chances are you’ve already met the resident hippie—and he is certainly hard to miss, with his tall, lanky frame, long hair tied in a ponytail, and an endless patter of jokes that always gets his patients laughing.

He is Bill Weiss, a Physician Assistant at the Marianas Medical Center who admits to being so stuck in the 1970s that he still has an extensive collection of vinyl records of his favorite rock groups and rock artists from that era.

Weiss has been avoiding the razor for his hair because he said he just couldn’t get over his hippie days. Having grown up at the height of the flower power decade, Weiss said this is also the reason why he could not let go of his collection of vinyl records of such artists as The Doors, Janis Joplin, the Beatles and Bob Dylan. Unfortunately, he said he could not play these records here because there are no turntables available on the island.

Before he became a PA, he was a nurse for 17 years, which included stints in countries such as Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Fiji, Egypt, Italy, Laos and many more. He handled mostly rescue and trauma cases during his nursing years.

When he graduated from University of Washington School of Medicine for his PA program, he immediately started his career in Las Vegas. He then transferred to Guam where he worked as a PA for six years. He moved to Saipan almost two years ago.

He has been a PA for more than 10 years now and has grown to love the profession but he considers his experience as a nurse as the most memorable and interesting as it was as a nurse that he got to visit places like Fiji and Thailand.

One time in Thailand, he said he had to visit a patient in one of the most rural areas in the country and he had to get there by riding an elephant. He said the experience of riding an elephant was in itself exciting but the most interesting part was when a group of armed opium bandits stopped them. Weiss thought that was the end of his medical career. “That’s the only time I felt danger in my entire career,” he said. Luckily, he got out of the situation in one piece.

Traveling has always been his favorite form of activity and he has learned to always travel light, with only a toothbrush, clean underwear and the Lonely Planet guide in his bag. He said this opportunity to travel has given him further understanding of the different cultures around the world. He finds this advantageous in his current profession: Having seen medical facilities in other countries has made him appreciate what the CNMI has, he said.

He said the Philippines and Vietnam are on top of his list of places he loves to visit. He also enjoys scuba diving and reading historical fiction.

Besides traveling, Weiss also loves collecting souvenirs of the places he has been to. A visit to his home atop the scenic Mt. Tapuchau would make one marvel at the collection he keeps, most of which he acquired in Asia.

One possession that Weiss really treasures is an American flag—and this is not just any ordinary flag. It is one that flew at the Capitol in Washington D.C. during the 1960s. Another precious collection are the first and second issues of Life magazine dated 1936, which are still in mint condition.

Weiss has recently been visiting Tinian for a medical mission that he is involved in. He said he started assisting the doctor on Tinian late last year and he finds the task very inspiring. He said Tinian has only one doctor and the place is also in need of medical attention.