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2019 Summer Internship Guest Blog Post #32 by Hamish McGregor

Sydney Everett (Staff)
August 20, 2019
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Throughout the summer, Skandalaris Center Summer Internship Program participants will be writing guest blog posts about their internship experience. Following is one such post. 

A Summer in the Lou

By Hamish McGregor (EN ’21)

My name is Hamish McGregor, and I am a rising junior here at Washington University in St. Louis. I am a computer science major and have a minor in both entrepreneurship and design. I am an international student from Sydney, Australia. Two years ago I would have called you crazy if you had told me I would be spending my Summer here in St. Louis working, but as this summer wraps up I can safely say it has been one of the best yet.

I have spent this Summer working at a startup named Provider Pool. Simply put, Provider Pool offers healthcare facilities and nurses an online staffing platform that cuts out the expensive cost of staffing agencies and provides nurses and healthcare professionals more control over their work schedule. You can find out more about them in the link below, go check it out! http://www.providerpool.co

In my short ten weeks, here at Provider Pool I have learned more than I could have ever imagined. Working at startup during its early stages has provided me a unique insight into all the trials and tribulations associated with its creation. It has been especially interesting to see that within a company of only 4 full-time employees, we often wear all sorts of different “hats” and manage responsibilities that stray far from the responsibilities mentioned in our initial job description. This has been a highlight for me, as it has provided me with useful knowledge about business operations and fundraising that I initially did not anticipate gaining.

Secondly, I have learned to apply what I have learned in the classroom at Wash U to an industry setting for the first time. Along the way, I realised that the knowledge we gain while at school will only take us so far. It is how we apply and use that knowledge that is truly beneficial to a company and our own growth professionally and intellectually.

My primary role at Provider Pool has been Software and Web Development working closely on the company’s website and helping to troubleshoot and improve it. Perhaps the best part of my internship has been knowing that the changes and implementations I have made to the Provider Pool website will be used for quite some time, and continue to be an integral part of the platform.

Overall, I could not be more pleased with how this summer has gone. I have had the incredible opportunity to work at a local startup, spend the summer with close friends who have also been working in St. Louis, and prepare myself for future employment opportunities by taking the first step to working in the technology industry.