I Just want a Certificate!

In this consultation there is a straightforward conflict between the doctor and his patient, both participants find themselves in an intolerable position and the situation ends in disarray.The story with the patient asking the doctor for a certificate to cover him for the previous when he says that he was suffering from influenza. He says he tried to telephone the doctor’s receptionist, who suggested that if he were not seriously ill the patient should not bother the doctor.

The patient now presents himself the following week for a “check up” and a certificate. The Doctor declines to give the certificate and the atmosphere becomes more heated, he questions the patient about his smoking habit and subtly tries to induce guilt feelings about smoking and bronchitis in his patient.

The patient rejects these overtures and the doctor abandons this line of discussion. The doctor then reminds the patient that he has tried to get backdated certificates before and again refuses to give a certificate. The situation deteriorates; the patient attacks the doctor’s alleged affluence, and at a level of personal  acrimony the doctor decides to terminate the interview with the patient still attempting, perhaps successfully, to score point from the situation right up until the very end.