Need a doctor's note for uni

I've never had to get a doctor's note before (nor have I even been to the doctors in the last 5+ years). I had a migraine that caused me to miss a practical class today worth 5% of my grade. I've been asked to complete an extenuating circumstances form with evidence. I had a bad migraine triggered by stress so I couldn't drive into uni nor could I make the 2 hour journey utilising public transport to get there.

I didn't know I would need to fill in a form until this evening and I'm now fine, what do I do about evidence?

You can self-certify for 7 days by law. This should be sufficient.

Going to your GP for a retrospective illness simply for a sick note is a massive waste of time for everyone involved. Ultimately your GP would be taking your word for it as your university would if they accepted a self-certification.

Has your university specifically stated that they want a sick note?

That makes no sense. You won't be able to see your GP and get a note for an illness you had today. Obviously, it might be dfferent if it's an ongoing problem.

That makes no sense. You won't be able to see your GP and get a note for an illness you had today. Obviously, it might be dfferent if it's an ongoing problem.

Surely OP could give the symptoms they had, tell the GP what happened, and they might be willing to write them a note?

Not actually much different to reporting the symptoms as they are happening.

If the university requires a GP note, then OP should surely try to get one? I certainly wouldn't consider that a "waste of time" at all, as was claimed by someone else.

Whilsy i agree with most of your post a note retrospectively confirming what someone else is telling them is very different from a note which confirms what the GP can confirm for themselves and is present at the time of writing the note.

That makes no sense. You won't be able to see your GP and get a note for an illness you had today. Obviously, it might be dfferent if it's an ongoing problem.

Yes, I can see what you mean, but surely lots of people don't actually have observable symptoms when in a GP consultation?

Eg a consultation about abdominal pain, the GP can't actually see anything for themselves. Or a consultation about a mental health problem - the person could be completely lying.

Even if the GP spoke to someone when they were having a migraine, how is that any different from taking a history from them afterwards? Is "I have a headache now" any more believable than "I had a headache yesterday"?

I imagine going through the GP would give this more legitimacy to the university, because the GP can listen to the symptoms and is medically trained to interpret them. That is, if the GP is willing to write a note based on a retrospective description.

A nurse can diagnose a migraine. Go to them rather than wasting the GP's time.

They could be lying, but if you have a migraine then you cna display symptoms plus the GP is there and can write a note which says this person came o my surgery with X symptoms which matched a migraine and I adbised her the best course of action was to go home and rest. It would have been impractical for her to risk driving or particpate in an examination.

The other note he is simply writing what the OP tells him without observing anything himself. the dept will see the difference, they arent stupid.

So what if someone had a headache without any observable signs? A migraine won't always have signs anyway.

Whilst I agree that the university may draw a distinction, I honestly cannot see any difference (assuming the headache had no observable signs). It is just as easy to lie about something in the present as lie about something in the past.

Do you get migraines?

Nope.

There are different types of migraines and different severities of atack. its much more than just a headache. If her claim is she could not attend an exam then she would have to be describing some pretty substantial symptoms.
Visual impairment, vomiting, nausea, extreme sensitivity to light and noise as well as a particular sort of headache.

More severe, more symtoms the more authortive the Drs note can be.
Not

I confirm this student came to me and I confirm she told me she had a migraine yesterday.

I understand all that. But most of that stuff is self-report, isn't it? Stuff like the character of the headache, nausea, whether they vomited. Photophobia can be observed but isn't always present anyway.

Essentially, I definitely do agree that the GP and Uni may not take kindly to this being retrospective, but I can't myself see much logic for them drawing a distinction.