Terms of Service

1. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing or using Scalpel ("the Service"), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service ("Terms"). If you do not agree to these Terms, you may not use the Service. Scalpel is a SaaS platform designed to help pre-health students research and apply to healthcare programs.

2. Description of Service

Scalpel provides AI-powered program recommendations, document intelligence, application timeline management, and educational resources for students pursuing healthcare careers. The Service is available in two tiers:

• Explorer (FREE): Limited access with monthly usage limits
• Pro (PAID): Unlimited access to all premium features

3. Account Registration

To use certain features of the Service, you must create an account. You agree to:

• Provide accurate, current, and complete information during registration
• Maintain and update your information to keep it accurate and current
• Maintain the security of your account credentials
• Notify us immediately of any unauthorized access or security breach
• Be responsible for all activities that occur under your account

You must be at least 13 years old to use the Service. If you are under 18, you must have parental or guardian consent.

4. Subscription and Billing

4.1 Paid Subscriptions

Scalpel Pro is a paid subscription service billed monthly ($24/month) or annually ($240/year). By subscribing to Pro, you agree to pay all applicable fees.

4.2 Payment Processing

All payments are processed securely through Stripe, Inc. We do not store your full credit card information. You authorize us to charge your payment method on a recurring basis until you cancel.

4.3 Automatic Renewal

Your subscription will automatically renew at the end of each billing period unless you cancel before the renewal date. You will be charged the then-current subscription rate.

4.4 Free Trial (if applicable)

We may offer free trials from time to time. At the end of the trial period, you will be automatically charged unless you cancel before the trial ends.

4.5 Price Changes

We reserve the right to modify subscription pricing. We will provide at least 30 days' notice of any price changes. Continued use after the price change constitutes acceptance of the new pricing.

4.6 Payment Failures

If a payment fails, you will enter a 7-day grace period during which you retain Pro access. We will attempt to charge your payment method again. If payment cannot be processed within the grace period, your subscription will be downgraded to the FREE plan.

5. Cancellation and Refunds

You may cancel your subscription at any time through the Stripe Customer Portal in your Settings. Upon cancellation:

• You will retain Pro access until the end of your current billing period
• Your account will automatically downgrade to the FREE plan at period end
• No refund will be provided for the remaining period (except as stated in our Refund Policy)

See our Refund Policy for details on our 7-day money-back guarantee.

6. Usage Limits and Fair Use

6.1 FREE Tier Limits

FREE tier users are subject to monthly usage limits as displayed in the pricing page. Limits reset on the 1st of each month at midnight UTC.

6.2 Fair Use Policy

While Pro users have "unlimited" access, we reserve the right to limit usage that we determine, in our sole discretion, to constitute abuse or excessive use that impacts service quality for other users. Examples include:

• Automated scraping or data extraction
• Using the Service to build a competing product
• Excessive API calls or resource-intensive operations

7. Acceptable Use

You agree NOT to:

• Use the Service for any illegal or unauthorized purpose
• Violate any laws in your jurisdiction
• Infringe on the intellectual property rights of others
• Upload malicious code, viruses, or harmful content
• Attempt to gain unauthorized access to the Service or related systems
• Interfere with or disrupt the Service or servers
• Impersonate another person or entity
• Share your account credentials with others
• Use the Service to harass, abuse, or harm another person
• Scrape, crawl, or systematically extract data from the Service

Violation of these terms may result in immediate account termination without refund.

8. Intellectual Property

8.1 Our Content

The Service, including all content, features, functionality, software, and user interfaces, is owned by Scalpel and protected by copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws. You may not copy, modify, distribute, sell, or lease any part of the Service without our written permission.

8.2 Your Content

You retain ownership of any content you upload to the Service (transcripts, documents, profile data). By uploading content, you grant us a limited, worldwide, non-exclusive license to use, store, and process your content solely to provide and improve the Service.

8.3 AI-Generated Content

Content generated by our AI features (recommendations, insights, document extractions) is provided for informational purposes only. We claim no ownership over AI-generated outputs specific to your queries.

9. Data and Privacy

Your use of the Service is also governed by our Privacy Policy, which describes how we collect, use, and protect your personal information. By using the Service, you consent to our data practices as described in the Privacy Policy.

10. Disclaimers and Limitations of Liability

10.1 Service "As Is"

THE SERVICE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT.

10.2 No Admission Guarantees

Scalpel is a research and planning tool. WE DO NOT GUARANTEE admission to any program, acceptance by any institution, or any specific outcome. Admissions decisions are made solely by the institutions, not by Scalpel.

10.3 AI Limitations

AI-generated recommendations and insights may contain errors or inaccuracies. Always verify information with official program sources. We are not responsible for decisions made based on AI-generated content.

10.4 Third-Party Content

Program data, admissions statistics, and other information are sourced from publicly available data and may not be current or accurate. We strive to keep data updated but make no guarantees.

10.5 Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, SCALPEL SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, OR ANY LOSS OF PROFITS OR REVENUES, WHETHER INCURRED DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, OR ANY LOSS OF DATA, USE, GOODWILL, OR OTHER INTANGIBLE LOSSES, RESULTING FROM:

• Your use or inability to use the Service
• Any unauthorized access to or use of your data
• Any interruption or cessation of the Service
• Any bugs, viruses, or harmful code transmitted through the Service
• Any errors or omissions in content

IN NO EVENT SHALL SCALPEL'S TOTAL LIABILITY EXCEED THE AMOUNT YOU PAID TO SCALPEL IN THE 12 MONTHS PRECEDING THE CLAIM, OR $100, WHICHEVER IS GREATER.

11. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Scalpel, its affiliates, officers, directors, employees, and agents from any claims, damages, losses, liabilities, and expenses (including legal fees) arising from:

• Your use of the Service
• Your violation of these Terms
• Your violation of any third-party rights
• Any content you upload to the Service

12. Modifications to Service and Terms

We reserve the right to modify or discontinue the Service (or any part thereof) at any time with or without notice. We may also modify these Terms at any time. We will notify you of material changes via email or in-app notification at least 30 days before they take effect. Your continued use of the Service after changes constitutes acceptance of the modified Terms.

13. Account Termination

13.1 Termination by You

You may terminate your account at any time by contacting support@scalpel.app or through your account settings.

13.2 Termination by Us

We may suspend or terminate your account and access to the Service immediately, without notice, for:

• Violation of these Terms
• Fraudulent or illegal activity
• Non-payment of fees
• Abuse of the Service
• Any other reason at our sole discretion

13.3 Effect of Termination

Upon termination, your right to use the Service will immediately cease. We may delete your account and all associated data. We are not liable to you or any third party for termination of access to the Service.

14. Dispute Resolution and Arbitration

14.1 Informal Resolution

Before filing a claim, you agree to contact us at support@scalpel.app to attempt to resolve the dispute informally.

14.2 Binding Arbitration

If informal resolution fails, any dispute arising from these Terms or the Service shall be resolved through binding arbitration in accordance with the rules of the American Arbitration Association, rather than in court, except that you may assert claims in small claims court if your claims qualify.

14.3 Class Action Waiver

YOU AND SCALPEL AGREE THAT EACH MAY BRING CLAIMS AGAINST THE OTHER ONLY IN YOUR OR ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY, AND NOT AS A PLAINTIFF OR CLASS MEMBER IN ANY PURPORTED CLASS OR REPRESENTATIVE PROCEEDING.

15. Governing Law

These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware, United States, without regard to its conflict of law provisions.

16. Severability

If any provision of these Terms is found to be unenforceable or invalid, that provision will be limited or eliminated to the minimum extent necessary, and the remaining provisions will remain in full force and effect.

17. Contact Information

If you have any questions about these Terms, please contact us:

• Email: support@scalpel.app
• Website: https://scalpel.app