A medical certificate is a document signed a doctor attesting to the results of a medical examination. Employers who require proof of an employee’s fitness for duty may require it. Other institutions and organizations may require medical documentation to verify whether an individual is disabled or has a medical condition that necessitates special services or accommodations. The types of health care professionals who can complete a certificate and the information that must be included on a medical certificate differ depending on the organization or individual who requests the documentation.
A medical certificate is frequently used to demonstrate an employee’s fitness for duty so that she can start a new job or return to work after an illness. Before providing accommodations to an employee with a disability or medical condition, employers may require a certificate of this type. A pregnant woman, for example, may be required to bring a medical certificate to work documenting her pregnancy in order to avoid contact with hazardous materials that could endanger her health and that of her fetus.
Both schools and the military may have similar requirements. If a student misses several weeks of school due to a serious illness, the school may require the student to provide a medical certificate stating that he or she is not contagious before returning to class. Schools may also require such a certificate as proof that a student was not simply absent during the time he was not in class. Medical certificates may be required the military to prove that a recruit is fit for military service or that he is able to return to active duty following an illness or injury.
Who gets to complete a medical certificate is determined the requesting institution. The organization’s policy may allow any primary care medical professional, such as a nurse practitioner, physician, or physician assistant, to certify the presence or absence of an illness if the medical certificate attests to the presence or absence of an illness. Some organizations will only accept certification from a physician. If the certification is part of a process that qualifies someone for a dangerous job or a high-level position, the requirements for who can complete it may become much more stringent. In some cases, the organization may only accept certification from a physician who has undergone his own certification process attesting to his ability to assess someone’s suitability for a specific job or professional role.