I discovered/designed this experience on my own initiative. I had a friend who told me about the vet clinic and how it had its own proprietary software, and I was instantly intrigued. Family Pet Hospital is managed and owned by Dr. Hailee Feagans and Lester Wight, and uniquely Lester is a former CTO and web developer. Through his work the clinic has developed and grown its own software to meet the needs of the business. Seeing an opportunity, and an experience where I could learn and research something new, I reached out to them. Together we decided the experience would be focused on AI integration, as research into its uses in veterinary practice.
I am staying in a cute little house on the outskirts of St. Louis, not too far from the Vet Clinic. Interesting fact is, Saint Louis is landlocked, and many people who live in the surrounding towns still put Saint Louis for their address. The Vet clinic often must use zip codes to determine actual locations. The area is secluded from the city life, but still decently close to downtown.
The work I am doing in this internship will shape my professional career profoundly. AI has taken over the field of computer science, and this experience is a great way to show my experience and proficiency in its application. Also, just over the week I have been in my internship I have been introduced to new professional tools and practices. The web service the Vet Clinic uses is completely cloud based using Amazon Web Services, giving me an introduction to cloud computing and the leading website hosting service in the world.
The experience has led to many fruitful conversations with professionals in the field. Conversations with my supervisor Lester helped me understand how quickly the field of computer science changes. Much of the profession is not about the tools or skills you learn, but rather your ability to adapt and use the current leading tools to accomplish your goals. I spoke to Eric Russel, Director of IT and Hosting at BizLibrary about the problems of uncontrolled AI use at his work. Responsible for controlling security breaches, Eric faces new challenges of making sure AI is used safely and correctly by everyone in the company. He emphasized that new technologies introduce new security and safe use issues that need to be addressed, AI especially.
The experience has been a mix of learning about two different types of cultures, one of a computer scientist, and that of a Veterinary professional. From the comp sci side, the goal is always to innovate, optimize, and iterate. We should always be searching for the next thing, the next improvement, the next feature. Our work is to maintain and build tools that impact the world around us. And the main driving force of a computer scientist is the need and desire to build something. Whether it is research, software, or a web app. The culture is quite different when it comes to veterinarians. Like all medical professions, a primary focus is care. Whether it’s their patients, their clients, or colleagues in the field, their main goal is to provide the best possible care and services for animals and their owners. They take serious pride in their work, and as they should. The knowledge, skill, and expertise needed is high, and the time put in is long.
My experience so far in Saint Louis has been incredible. I have had plenty of time to go sightseeing, enjoy the local cuisine, and experience the city. And, as an avid soccer fan I was able to go to my first MLS game to see Saint Louis SC live, twice! They won both games, so maybe I’m a good luck charm.
The experience has impacted me and warmed me up to living in a bigger city such as Saint Louis. The amazing choices for food and entertainment at such a short distance is second to none, except I do miss the much calmer traffic from back home.