1. Who We Are
BecomeADoctor.eu is operated by BecomeADoctor UG (haftungsbeschränkt), registered in Cologne, Germany. Our registered address is Luxemburger Str. 122, 50939 Cologne, Germany.
We are a medical university placement agency. We help students find and apply to WHO-recognised medical schools across Europe and globally. Our service is free to students — we receive a placement commission from universities when a student successfully enrols.
Data Controller: BecomeADoctor UG · Luxemburger Str. 122, 50939 Cologne, Germany · [email protected]
2. What Data We Collect
We collect personal data only when you actively provide it to us. We collect:
- Contact information: Full name, email address, phone number (including international country code)
- Academic information: Qualifications, grades, country of study, desired programme and destination
- Application documents: Passport copy, transcripts, personal statements, certificates — uploaded only when you begin an active application with us
- Communication data: Messages sent through our contact forms, email exchanges and portal messages
- Technical data: IP address, browser type, pages visited and time spent — collected automatically via cookies (see Section 8)
We do not collect special category data (health, religion, political views, biometric data) unless directly relevant to your university application and provided explicitly by you.
3. How We Use Your Data
We use your personal data for the following purposes:
- To provide our free placement service — matching you with suitable universities and managing your application
- To communicate with you about your application, next steps and deadlines
- To submit your application documents to universities on your behalf (with your explicit consent)
- To send you relevant information about university options, guides and news (with your consent, unsubscribable at any time)
- To improve our service and website through anonymised analytics
- To fulfil legal obligations including GDPR compliance, tax records and fraud prevention
4. Legal Basis for Processing
We process your personal data under the following legal bases (GDPR Article 6):
- Consent (Art. 6(1)(a)): For marketing emails and non-essential cookies. You can withdraw consent at any time.
- Contract performance (Art. 6(1)(b)): For managing your application and providing our placement service.
- Legitimate interests (Art. 6(1)(f)): For improving our service, fraud prevention and maintaining records of placed students.
- Legal obligation (Art. 6(1)(c)): For tax records and regulatory compliance.
5. Who We Share Data With
We share your personal data only in the following circumstances:
- Partner universities: When you authorise us to submit your application, we share your relevant documents and information with the university you are applying to.
- Service providers: We use trusted third-party tools including email systems (GDPR-compliant), CRM software and secure document storage. All providers are bound by data processing agreements.
- Legal requirements: If required by law or to protect our legal rights.
We do not sell your personal data. We do not share your data with advertisers or data brokers.
6. How Long We Keep Your Data
- Enquiry data: 2 years from last contact if no application is submitted
- Application data: 7 years after enrolment (legal requirement for contracts and tax records)
- Marketing consent: Until you unsubscribe
- Website analytics: 26 months (anonymised)
7. Your Rights Under GDPR
As a data subject under GDPR, you have the following rights:
- Right of access: Request a copy of all personal data we hold about you
- Right to rectification: Correct inaccurate data
- Right to erasure: Request deletion of your data (subject to legal retention requirements)
- Right to restriction: Limit how we process your data
- Right to portability: Receive your data in a machine-readable format
- Right to object: Object to processing based on legitimate interests or for marketing
- Right to withdraw consent: For any processing based on consent, at any time
To exercise any of these rights, contact us at: [email protected] or write to us at our registered address. We will respond within 30 days.
8. Cookies
We use cookies to improve your experience and for analytics. Specifically:
- Necessary cookies: Session cookies required for the website to function. These cannot be disabled.
- Analytics cookies: Google Analytics (anonymised IP) to understand how visitors use our site. You can opt out via our cookie consent banner.
- Marketing cookies: Used only if you consent, to show relevant ads on third-party platforms.
You can manage your cookie preferences at any time via the cookie settings button in the footer of our website.
9. Data Security
We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data against unauthorised access, loss, destruction or alteration. These include:
- SSL/TLS encryption for all data in transit
- Encrypted storage for all documents
- Access controls — only authorised staff can access personal data
- Regular security reviews
In the event of a data breach that is likely to result in risk to your rights and freedoms, we will notify you and the relevant supervisory authority within 72 hours.
For any questions about this policy or to exercise your data rights, contact us:
- Email: [email protected]
- Post: BecomeADoctor UG, Luxemburger Str. 122, 50939 Cologne, Germany
- Phone: +49 151 54688576 (Mon–Fri 09:00–18:00 CET)
If you are not satisfied with our response, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the supervisory authority in Germany: Der Landesbeauftragte für den Datenschutz Nordrhein-Westfalen (LDI NRW), Kavalleriestraße 2–4, 40213 Düsseldorf. Website: ldi.nrw.de