Privacy Notice

Information We Collect

• Account information: name, email address, password (stored securely by our authentication provider), and account role (student, physician, or administrator).
• Student profile information: education level, school, graduation year, GPA (optional), career interests, shadowing essays, resume (PDF), and optional profile links (e.g., LinkedIn, Facebook, or other URLs you choose to provide).
• Physician profile information: specialty, institution, location, bio, shadow expectations, availability notes, optional introduction URL, and application preferences.
• Application data: cover messages, application status, timestamps, and snapshots of profile answers submitted with each application.
• Technical data: standard server and session logs needed to operate and secure the service (e.g., login sessions via cookies).

How We Use Your Information

• To create and manage your account.
• To display physician profiles to students browsing the directory.
• To let students apply to physicians and let physicians review those applications, including resumes and profile details.
• To send service-related email notifications (e.g., new applications, accept/decline decisions, physician account approval).
• To administer the platform, prevent abuse, and comply with law.

Who Can See Your Information

• Students can see their own profile and applications. They can browse approved physician profiles in the public directory.
• Physicians can see applications sent to them, including the applicant's profile, resume, and optional links. Physician contact details are not shown publicly before an application is accepted.
• Administrators can access user and application data as needed to verify physician accounts, support users, and maintain the platform.
• We do not sell your personal information. We do not display student profiles to other students.

Resume and File Storage

Student resumes are stored in private cloud storage. They are shared only with physicians who receive an application from that student (and with platform administrators when necessary for support or compliance).

Data Retention and Deletion

We retain account and application information while your account is active and as needed to operate the service. If an account is deleted or suspended by an administrator, personal identifiers may be removed or anonymized while certain application records are kept for operational and legal purposes.

Security

We use industry-standard measures including encrypted connections (HTTPS), authenticated access, and row-level database security policies to limit who can access data. No method of transmission or storage is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

Children and Students Under 18

ShadowLink may be used by high school students. If you are under 18, you should use the platform with permission from a parent or guardian. We may update our practices for age verification and parental consent in the future.

Changes to This Notice

We may update this Privacy Notice from time to time. The "Last updated" date at the top will reflect the most recent version. Continued use of ShadowLink after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated notice.

Contact Us

Questions about this Privacy Notice or your data? Email us at caostechs@gmail.com.