Wondering if a physician could sign off of the medical certificate in my file since the assessment is verbal?

Dr. exam, then note: A doctor can write a note after doing an in-person exam. Generally, doctors do not write notes such as work-excuse or school-excuse notes, or back-to-work or back-to-school notes, without an exam. That is because a doctor's note is his written, signed, professional opinion, on whether a patient can or cannot do a particular activity. An in-person exam gives confidence to the doctor's opinion.