Privacy & disclaimer
What we store
- Account: if you sign in, your email address and hashed sign-in codes. Nothing else identifies you — no name, no password.
- Study history: encounters you finish are kept in your browser; when signed in they also sync to the server so your history follows you across devices. A history record holds the case stem, your own transcript, and your marksheet — the hidden case files and answer keys never leave the server.
- Usage metering: when you are signed in, the cost of each AI call is recorded against your account so we can keep it within a fair monthly limit.
- Feedback: whatever you type in the feedback form, with your account email attached when you are signed in.
Voice dictation
Signed-in users can dictate instead of typing. Audio is recorded only while a take is running — you tap the microphone, and your browser asks your permission first; nothing listens in the background. The clip passes through our server to Groq, which turns it into text. We never save or log the audio, and the transcript lands in your text box exactly like typed text, for you to edit before you send it.
Two things are worth knowing. First, so the model spells clinical terms correctly, we send a short slice of the encounter already on your screen along with the clip — the last couple of lines you and the examiner have exchanged, plus a list of common exam terms. Nothing hidden from you is ever sent. Second, Groq does not retain audio by default, but may hold it for up to 30 days to investigate faults or abuse, under its own policy. So treat it like any other cloud service: do not put real patient identifiers into the app — spoken or typed.
Your API key
Your own API key, if you add one in Settings, is stored only in this browser. Each request passes it through our server to your AI provider and it is never saved or logged there. You pay your provider directly for what you use.
Analytics & email
We use cookieless, privacy-friendly web analytics (aggregate page counts — no personal profiles, no ads, no third-party trackers). Emails from us are limited to sign-in codes, a short acknowledgement when you send feedback with a reply address, and any actual replies to that feedback.
Disclaimer
PACES Buddy is an exam-practice simulator, for education only. It is not medical advice, and it is not a substitute for clinical training, bedside teaching, or examining real patients. AI output can be wrong or incomplete — verify anything surprising against authoritative sources, and please report errors so the case bank improves for everyone.
Clinical images
Some clinical photographs shown in cases remain the copyright of their original sources and are used here for education while we transition to openly licensed material. If an image is yours and you would like it credited or removed, write to us.