1. Introduction & Agreement

These Terms of Service (“Terms”) govern your access to and use of the MDSteps websites, applications, and related services (collectively, the “Services”). By accessing or using the Services, you agree to be bound by these Terms. If you are using the Services on behalf of an organization, you represent that you have authority to bind that organization, and “you” includes that organization.

MDSteps is an independent educational platform and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the NBME, FSMB, USMLE, or NCSBN.

2. Use of Service

You may use the Services only if you are at least 13 years old (or older if required in your jurisdiction) and capable of forming a binding contract. You agree to use the Services only for lawful purposes and in compliance with these Terms and applicable laws.

Prohibited Conduct includes: attempting to access non-public areas, interfering with security features, reverse engineering, using automated means to scrape content, or using the Services to infringe intellectual property or violate the rights of others.

3. Accounts & Registration

You must provide accurate and complete information when creating an account and keep your credentials confidential. You are responsible for all activities that occur under your account. Notify us immediately of any unauthorized use or security breach.

4. Subscriptions & Payments

Certain features require a paid subscription. Prices, features, and availability are described on our Pricing page and may change from time to time. By starting a subscription, you authorize our payment processor to charge the applicable fees and taxes to your payment method.

Trials & Renewals: If your plan includes a free trial, you may cancel before the trial ends to avoid charges. Unless stated otherwise, subscriptions renew automatically until canceled. You may cancel at any time effective at the end of the current billing period.

Refunds: Except where required by law or expressly stated, payments are non-refundable. We may consider refund requests on a case-by-case basis.

5. Intellectual Property

The Services, including all content, software, text, graphics, and logos, are owned by MDSteps or its licensors and are protected by intellectual property laws. Subject to these Terms, we grant you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable license to access and use the Services for personal, non-commercial educational purposes.

All trademarks, service marks, and logos used in connection with the Services are the property of their respective owners. MDSteps is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the NBME, FSMB, USMLE, or NCSBN.

6. User Content

You retain ownership of content you submit, upload, or post through the Services (“User Content”). You grant MDSteps a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free license to use, reproduce, modify, and display User Content solely to provide and improve the Services. You represent that you have all necessary rights to grant this license and that your User Content does not infringe the rights of any third party.

7. Disclaimers

The Services and content are provided “as is” and “as available,” without warranties of any kind, express or implied, including implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement. We do not warrant that the Services will be uninterrupted or error-free.

Educational Content Disclaimer: The Services are for educational purposes only and are not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with any questions regarding medical conditions.

8. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, MDSteps and its affiliates, officers, employees, agents, and licensors will not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, or any loss of profits or revenues, arising out of or related to your use of the Services. Our total liability for any claims under these Terms is limited to the amount you paid us in the 12 months preceding the event giving rise to the claim.

9. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless MDSteps and its affiliates, officers, employees, and agents from and against any claims, liabilities, damages, losses, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) arising out of or related to your violation of these Terms or applicable law, or your User Content.

10. Governing Law & Disputes

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Texas, without regard to its conflict of law principles. You agree to the exclusive jurisdiction of the state and federal courts located in El Paso County, Texas, for any disputes arising out of or relating to the Services or these Terms.

11. Termination

We may suspend or terminate your access to the Services at any time if we believe you have violated these Terms or for any reason at our discretion. You may stop using the Services at any time. Upon termination, the provisions of these Terms that by their nature should survive will remain in effect.

12. Changes to Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. If we make material changes, we will post the updated Terms and update the “Last updated” date. Your continued use of the Services after the effective date constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms.

13. Contact

Questions about these Terms? Contact us at legal@mdsteps.com.