diff --git a/care/facility/api/serializers/patient_consultation.py b/care/facility/api/serializers/patient_consultation.py
index 1ecaabdad0..b23486c74a 100644
--- a/care/facility/api/serializers/patient_consultation.py
+++ b/care/facility/api/serializers/patient_consultation.py
@@ -609,11 +609,12 @@ def validate(self, attrs):
                     {"patient_no": "This field is required for admission."}
                 )
 
-        if (
-            "suggestion" in validated
-            and validated["suggestion"] != SuggestionChoices.DD
-        ):
-            if "treating_physician" not in validated:
+        if "suggestion" in validated and validated["suggestion"] not in [
+            SuggestionChoices.DD,
+            SuggestionChoices.DC,
+        ]:
+            treating_physician = validated.get("treating_physician")
+            if not treating_physician:
                 raise ValidationError(
                     {
                         "treating_physician": [
@@ -621,10 +622,7 @@ def validate(self, attrs):
                         ]
                     }
                 )
-            if (
-                not validated["treating_physician"].user_type
-                == User.TYPE_VALUE_MAP["Doctor"]
-            ):
+            if not treating_physician.user_type == User.TYPE_VALUE_MAP["Doctor"]:
                 raise ValidationError("Only Doctors can verify a Consultation")
 
             facility = (
@@ -633,8 +631,8 @@ def validate(self, attrs):
                 or validated["patient"].facility
             )
             if (
-                validated["treating_physician"].home_facility
-                and validated["treating_physician"].home_facility != facility
+                treating_physician.home_facility
+                and treating_physician.home_facility != facility
             ):
                 raise ValidationError(
                     "Home Facility of the Doctor must be the same as the Consultation Facility"
diff --git a/care/facility/tests/test_patient_consultation_api.py b/care/facility/tests/test_patient_consultation_api.py
index 8fd901e274..0bea4b9847 100644
--- a/care/facility/tests/test_patient_consultation_api.py
+++ b/care/facility/tests/test_patient_consultation_api.py
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ def create_route_to_facility_consultation(
         data.update(kwargs)
         return self.client.post(self.get_url(), data, format="json")
 
-    def create_admission_consultation(self, patient=None, **kwargs):
+    def call_create_admission_consultation_api(self, patient=None, **kwargs):
         patient = patient or self.create_patient(self.district, self.facility)
         data = self.get_default_data().copy()
         kwargs.update(
@@ -97,7 +97,10 @@ def create_admission_consultation(self, patient=None, **kwargs):
             }
         )
         data.update(kwargs)
-        res = self.client.post(self.get_url(), data, format="json")
+        return self.client.post(self.get_url(), data, format="json")
+
+    def create_admission_consultation(self, patient=None, **kwargs):
+        res = self.call_create_admission_consultation_api(patient, **kwargs)
         return PatientConsultation.objects.get(external_id=res.data["id"])
 
     def update_consultation(self, consultation, **kwargs):
@@ -132,6 +135,12 @@ def test_encounter_date_less_than_minimum(self):
         res = self.client.post(self.get_url(), data, format="json")
         self.assertEqual(res.status_code, status.HTTP_400_BAD_REQUEST)
 
+    def test_create_admission_consultation_without_treating_physician(self):
+        res = self.call_create_admission_consultation_api(
+            suggestion="A", treating_physician=None
+        )
+        self.assertEqual(res.status_code, status.HTTP_400_BAD_REQUEST)
+
     def test_create_consultation_treating_physician_invalid_user(self):
         consultation = self.create_admission_consultation(suggestion="A")
         res = self.update_consultation(