Cookie Policy for Medical Humanities Archive Users

Last Updated: October 24, 2023

About Cookies

To support your experience while you explore our historical proceedings and educational materials, the Osler Symposia website uses cookies. Cookies are small text files placed on your device by your web browser when you visit a site. They allow the platform to recognize your device during your current visit and on subsequent returns.

We utilize two primary categories based on their lifespan. Session cookies exist only while your browser remains open and are automatically deleted once you close it. Persistent cookies remain on your hard drive for a specified duration or until you manually clear them, helping us remember your preferences for future visits.

Types of Cookies in Use

Our digital archive relies on several distinct types of cookies to function effectively.

Essential Cookies

These are strictly necessary for the core operation of our website. They manage fundamental actions like storing your consent preferences, enabling secure log-in areas for faculty contributors, and ensuring the site loads properly. You cannot opt out of these without impairing site functionality.

Analytics Cookies

We measure traffic and user behavior to understand which symposia proceedings and medical ethics resources draw the most interest. This data helps us refine our content and improve site navigation.

Advertising Cookies

While our primary mission is educational, we plan to implement advertising cookies in the future. These will help deliver personalized announcements regarding upcoming regional programs and continuing medical education opportunities relevant to your specific interests.

Third-Party Services

We occasionally partner with external service providers who may also set cookies through our platform. Content delivery networks deploy essential cookies to route traffic efficiently and ensure our medical humanities archives load quickly, regardless of your geographic location.

As we expand our digital outreach, we plan to integrate third-party analytics tools and ad networks. These external partners will use cookies to compile aggregated statistics about site usage and to manage the delivery of relevant educational program advertisements across other websites you visit. Be aware that these third-party services operate under their own privacy guidelines, which we encourage you to review alongside our Privacy Policy.

Cookie Preferences and Browser Controls

You retain full control over how cookies are handled on your device. Most modern web browsers automatically accept cookies, but you can modify your browser settings to decline them or to alert you when a cookie is being placed. The "Help" function within your browser's menu provides specific instructions on managing these preferences.

If you choose to disable all cookies—including essential ones, you may experience reduced functionality. Certain features of the Osler Symposia website, such as accessing restricted continuing medical education modules or saving your reading preferences, might become unavailable or fail to operate as intended.

Updates to This Policy

The digital environment and our operational requirements evolve over time. Consequently, we may update this Cookie Policy periodically to reflect changes in our practices, new regulatory requirements, or the introduction of new third-party services.

When we make significant modifications, we will revise the date at the top of this page. For material changes that substantially affect how we handle your data, we will provide a more prominent notice, such as an alert banner on our homepage. We encourage you to review this policy regularly to stay informed about our use of tracking technologies.