The "rating design" procedure was first used to examine 168 patients with tuberculosis. The image of an ideal doctor as perceived by patients was studied and it was compared with the traits of a practitioner by sex, age, residence, marital status, social class, disease duration, hospital stay, etc. It is shown that there is a great discrepancy of these images, which requires psychohygienic work with phthisiologists in order to create partner relations during treatment.