Hey, you know what the worst part about being sick? No, it’s not the bed sweats. And it’s not feeling like you’re about to undergo a 24 hour vom sesh. And it’s not even wondering if this is the end of your mortal life. It’s dealing with all of these symptoms while having to get a medical certificate for work.
Seriously, getting a medical certificate is just the worst. You either have to wait forever at your local practice or arrange a phone consultation while hoping that your doctor won’t forget to call you again. Because both of these things have happened to me, and they’ve left me scarred and terrified.
Which brings me to April 3. On this solemn date, I’m blanketed up at home with a gnarly stomach. What’s more, in classic fashion, I need to get a medical certificate for the next day. So, I go on to summon all of my strength, my will, and my passion, to call my local GP.
Fortunately, they answered. But in a tragic twist, they’re fully booked. My doctor can’t help me in my hour of need.
So, I then did what anyone would do. I Googled around for a solution. And when I did this, I stumbled upon our protagonist: Medmate.
Now, Medmate is a service that will send you a medical certificate for the price of $25. Additionally, to receive a certificate, all you have to do is answer an online questionnaire. That’s right, you don’t have to go into a clinic, and you don’t have to answer the phone.
However, this all seemed too good to be true. What’s the catch? What is Medmate not telling me?
But desperate times call for desperate measures. I needed a medical certificate, and on the double. This reasoning led me to a leap of faith. I gave Medmate a whirl.
So, with no more faffing about, here’s my review of Medmate.
Is Medmate a Scam?
When you request one of Medmate’s medical certificates, you will receive the following prompt: “Please provide details about your illness for the doctor and why you require a medical certificate.”
Underneath this prompt is a text box to fill. I filled my box in around 30 seconds.
After answering said prompt, you have to answer the following questions:
- Do you describe your symptoms as mild and not requiring urgent medical attention?
- Will you see your doctor if your symptoms are not improving?
- Do you have any of the following symptoms — Fever over 39 degrees, severe headache, vision disturbances, uncontrolled vomiting, chest pain, trouble breathing, or inability to tolerate fluids?
However, all of these questions are “yes” or “no” ones, so it took around another ten seconds to complete. I then entered my payment details, and was good to go.
A few minutes later, I received an email from Medmate saying that my order had been reviewed. They also said that it could take up to 24 hours for my request to be dealt with.
Less than 30 minutes later, I received my Medmate medical certificate. Plus what Medmate gave me was very legit and not all a scam. It had a doctor’s signature and everything.
A Conclusion to My Medmate Review
So, would I recommend Medmate? Well, it truly depends. Do you think that $25 is worth the price of admission? Would you pay $25 to not talk with your GP or fall into the trap of a scam and score a legit Medmate medical certificate?
Or, do you think that this price is a bit steep? Do you think even in this climate $25 is too much for an emailed sheet of paper?
Well, if you think that $25 is reasonable, use this service. And if you think $25 is ridiculous, hold off.
But for my money, I was incredibly pleased with my Medmate experience. It was simple, quick, and painless. I had no issues getting my medical certificate whatsoever.
Overall, I give this Medmate service a 9/10.
Related: How to Get an Online Doctor’s Note in Australia for Work
Related: Australian Doctors Are Worried Our Bulk-Billing System Will Crumble
Read more stories from The Latch and subscribe to our email newsletter.