Terms of Use
The ground rules for using the USEMS website and programmes.
Last updated: October 2026
About These Terms
These terms apply when you use usems.co.uk or take part in anything run through it, such as events, the mailing list, the mentorship scheme or the Research Academy. USEMS (the Undergraduate Sport and Exercise Medicine Society) is a non-profit society run by a volunteer committee of students. By using the site you agree to these terms. If you do not, please do not use it.
How we handle your personal data is explained in our Privacy Policy.
Educational Use Only, Not Medical Advice
Everything on the site, including guides, blog posts, newsletters, MCQs, teaching sessions and mentor advice, is for education and general interest. It is not medical advice and is not a substitute for professional judgement or for seeing a qualified clinician about your own health. While we try to keep information accurate and up to date, we cannot guarantee that it is complete or current. Opinions expressed by speakers, mentors and contributors are their own.
Never share patient information or anyone's identifiable health details on the site, in messages, or in files you upload.
Your Account
- You must be at least 16 to create an account.
- Give accurate details, and keep your sign-in details to yourself.
- You are responsible for what happens under your account. Tell us straight away if you think someone else has got into it.
- You can delete your account at any time from your account page.
How to Behave
Please do not:
- Harass, abuse, discriminate against or impersonate anyone
- Post anything unlawful, defamatory, misleading or offensive
- Use the site to send spam or advertise without our agreement
- Try to break into the site, interfere with how it runs, or collect other people's details from it
- Misrepresent your qualifications, role or affiliation
We may remove content, or suspend or close an account, if these terms are broken or if we need to protect the society or its members. Where we can, we will tell you why.
What You Share With Us
You keep ownership of anything you submit, such as application answers, messages, CVs and files. You give USEMS permission to use it to run the society and the programme you submitted it to, as described in the Privacy Policy. You promise that you have the right to share it and that it does not break anyone else's rights.
In the Research Academy, the authorship and ownership of any work a group produces is a matter for that group and its supervisors, to be agreed between them and with their own university where required. USEMS does not claim ownership of your research.
Events
Event details, dates and speakers can change, and sessions can be cancelled. Marking yourself as interested in an event is not a booking and does not guarantee a place. Joining links are shared for you personally, so please do not pass them on. Events run by partner organisations or individual university societies are governed by their own rules, and we are not responsible for how they are run.
The Mentorship Scheme and Research Academy
Both programmes are run by volunteers, and places and matches are not guaranteed. Mentors and research supervisors give their time and views freely. They are not employed by USEMS, and their guidance is informal, not professional, legal, clinical or career advice. You are responsible for your own decisions, and for following the rules of your university, placement or employer. Taking part does not create an employment, supervision or contractual relationship with USEMS, and we cannot guarantee any particular outcome, such as a publication, job or training post.
If you are ever worried about someone's behaviour in either programme, email us at hello@usems.co.uk and we will look into it.
Our Content and Branding
The site, its design, text, logos, guides and other material belong to USEMS or to the people who contributed them, and are protected by copyright. Society and partner logos belong to their owners. You may view and share links to pages, and quote short extracts with credit to USEMS, for personal and educational use. Please ask before copying anything else, or using our name or logo.
Links and Other Services
The site links to, and embeds content from, other websites and services such as Instagram, YouTube, Spotify and LinkedIn. We do not control them and are not responsible for their content or how they use your data.
Availability
The site is run by volunteers and provided as it is. We aim to keep it working and secure, but we cannot promise it will always be available, error-free, or free from interruptions for maintenance. We may change or remove features at any time.
Our Responsibility to You
Nothing in these terms limits liability that cannot lawfully be limited, including for death or personal injury caused by negligence, or for fraud. Otherwise, because USEMS is a free, volunteer-run service, we are not liable for losses arising from your use of the site or from relying on its content, except where the law says we must be. Individual committee members act on behalf of the society and not in a personal capacity.
Changes to These Terms
We may update these terms from time to time. The date at the top shows when they were last changed, and if you keep using the site after a change you accept the updated version. We will tell mailing list members about significant changes.
Governing Law
These terms are governed by the law of England and Wales, and the courts of England and Wales will have jurisdiction over any dispute, although this does not affect any rights you have in Scotland or Northern Ireland where you live there.
Contact
Questions about these terms? Email the committee at hello@usems.co.uk.