# ShepTech

> ShepTech is a Melbourne software studio run by Alex Shepherd, a medical doctor and software developer. It builds medical education platforms, including exam preparation and OSCE practice, and clinical software for medical students, doctors in training, specialist educators and clinics across Australia.

## Services
- [Medical education platforms](https://sheptech.netlify.app/medical-education-platforms/): exam preparation, question banks, clinical case libraries and OSCE practice software.
- [Clinical software](https://sheptech.netlify.app/clinical-software/): tools for doctors that sit alongside clinical work, including Skin Cancer Billing, an iPhone app for Medicare billing of skin cancer procedures.
- [Practice websites](https://sheptech.netlify.app/practice-websites/): websites for medical practices and doctors, written to AHPRA's advertising guidelines. One-off builds from $1,200 to $5,000+ AUD, no subscriptions.

## Work
- [Case studies](https://sheptech.netlify.app/work/): Ace Rheumatology (acerheumatology.com), ND Hub (ndhub.com.au), OSCE Pitt (oscebear.web.app), Skin Cancer Billing (skincancerbilling.netlify.app), MiBMS (mibms.co.uk).
- [Privacy and security](https://sheptech.netlify.app/privacy-and-security/): how ShepTech handles data, payments and hosting, and this website's privacy policy.

## About
- [About Alex Shepherd](https://sheptech.netlify.app/about/): Medical Doctor and Software Developer, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
- Business: Alexander John Shepherd, sole trader, ABN 61 219 390 958.

## Contact
- Location: St Kilda, Melbourne VIC 3182, Australia. Serves clients Australia-wide.
- Phone: +61 411 182 856
- Email: alex@ndhub.com.au
- [Contact page](https://sheptech.netlify.app/contact/)

## Common questions
- How much does a medical education platform cost? It depends on scope: the question types, whether you need OSCE stations, user accounts and payments, and who will write the content. After a free call I send a fixed quote, so you know the cost before any work starts. Practice websites have set price ranges, starting at $1,200; see practice websites.
- How long does a build take? Practice websites go live in 7 to 20 days, depending on the number of pages. Platforms are built in stages, with a first working version early so you can try it with real users. The quote sets out the timeline for each stage.
- What have you built? Ace Rheumatology, an education platform for doctors preparing for the RACP rheumatology written exam. ND Hub, a free study platform for medical students with clinical cases, MCQ practice and OSCE stations. OSCE Pitt, an OSCE practice app. Skin Cancer Billing, a free iPhone app for Medicare billing of skin cancer procedures. MiBMS, a training platform for biomedical scientists in the UK. There is more detail on the work page.
- Why hire a doctor to build medical software? You don't have to explain how exams, OSCEs or clinical work run, or what makes a good teaching case. I've sat the exams and OSCEs these platforms prepare people for, so the software follows how clinicians actually study and work, and the clinical detail is right the first time.
- How do you handle patient data and privacy? Education platforms use fictional or de-identified cases, never real patient records. Skin Cancer Billing stores no patient or personal data at all. Accounts and progress are stored on Google Cloud through Firebase, encrypted in transit and at rest, and card payments go through Stripe, so card numbers never reach my servers. For a tool that must hold patient data, we agree where it is hosted, including an Australian data centre, before the build starts. More on the privacy and security page.
- Who owns the code and content? You do. At handover the code, your content, and the hosting, payment and domain accounts are in your name, not mine.
- Do you only work with clients in Melbourne? No. ShepTech is based in St Kilda, Melbourne, and works with clients across Australia, and in the UK.
- What happens after I get in touch? I reply within one business day and we book a free call to talk through what you need. Then I send a written proposal with a fixed quote and a timeline. Nothing is billed until you accept it.