For the Physician – Understanding BasicMed
Your patient is asking you to perform a medical exam following a simple checklist that the FAA has
specifically created to be completed by any state-licensed physician. If this is the first time a pilot
has asked you to complete this checklist, that’s because it’s part of the FAA’s new medical rules
that allow a private pilot flying certain small aircraft for non-commercial purposes to obtain
a medical examination from any state-licensed physician.
The examination needed to complete this checklist is just like a wellness exam, similar to those
conducted for athletics or scuba diving certification. Conducting this examination is similar to
determining if an individual can safely operate a car, truck, motorcycle, boat or other motor vehicle.
Ultimately your patient is responsible for self-certifying his or her ability to operate a motor vehicle,
in this case a small aircraft, prior to every flight.
