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Throughout the play, Dr. Rank makes subtle and very quick appearances, most of the time, contributing very little if anything at all.  Besides coming on to Nora, then predicting what her future will be, I see no purpose for his being in the play.   

I believe that Dr. Rank does have a purpose in the play. He is there to show the love that Nora could be receiving if she was not with Torvald. Nora is not able to truly disclose her true being to Torvald and is able to with Dr. Rank. Dr. Rank is a foil to Torvald in the play.

Dr. Rank is a very important character in the play. It is revealed that he and Nora are very close and Nora even admits that she can tell him anything and that she trusts him more than anyone she knows.  It seems that he is the only one in the play Nora can truly be herself around.  He doesn't treat her like a child.  Dr. Rank is also the one that makes it known Nora is not necessarily happy when with Torvald when she says, "Well, you see, there are those people you love and those people you'd almost rather be with."  This is a big advance in the plot and we see that maybe Nora is not as ignorant as she seems.  Lastly, Dr. Rank provides us with an example of one of the plays themes.  The idea that children inherit the sins of their fathers can be represent through Dr. Rank and his illness.  Although he does appear insignificant, he does help to advance the plot and add to its meaning.

Dr. Rank plays a very pessimistic role in the play, in contrast to Nora's optimism.  He self-mourns his own death and even announces it through black, gloomy greeting cards.  He emphasizes the concept that we "inherit the sins of our fathers."  Maybe this suggests something about Nora and Torvald's children?

Dr. Rank plays opposite of Torvald in Nora's life. Rank and Nora have the emotional relationship that is conspicuously absent from Nora's marriage to Torvald. Nora feels comfortable sharing her inner thoughts and feelings with Dr. Rank, while she puts forth a bubbly, cheerful facade for her husband. Similarly, Dr. Rank shares his health concerns with Nora, despite the fact that he keeps such details from Torvald.

Dr. Rank is used soley as contrast for Torvald.  While Nora is treated more as child than anything else in her marriage to Torvald, she experiences more a "true" relationship with Dr. Rank.  This is one of the few places where Nora can actually experience the real world as opposed to the fairy tale she is subject to on a daily basis.  This taste of the real also leads me to beleive that Dr. Rank is one of the catalysts to Nora's desire to leave Torvald and truly become free.

Dr. Rank is a very important character in the play. Rank is the only person that Nora completely trusts because he knows the truth about her actions. Rank is one of the only characters that treats Nora like an adult rather than a child. Rank does eventually confess his love for Nora. Rank is used to contrast Torvald, who also loves Nora, but treats her as a child or play thing. 

Dr. Rank and Nora have a "true", "adult" relationship? Really? Nearly all of the interactions between the two only add to Nora's childish persona. When Rank tells her about his illness, Nora is basically bored by the conversation. There is also the stocking scene, where Nora essentially teases Rank. Moreover, when Rank confesses his love, Nora's reaction is far from adult.

I didn't have time to read all of the above posts, so don't judge me if my post is repetitive.

Dr. Rank's name was the most important thing in my eyes. Rank has two definitions, one meaning a scale of sorts and the other meaning stanky. First off, Dr. Rank doesn't "rank" very high in this story, but he is indeed quite pessimistic and stinky. His name itself provides a direct contradiction, showing that his character is used as a contradiction. He is the exact opposite of Torvald. Torvald feels his relationship with Nora is invincible, while Dr. Rank knows nothing lasts forever.

Rank was born to die. He represents the end of all of Nora's childish fantasies. She once admitted that she expected some rich man to fall in love with her and just give her all of their money. However, when Nora finally realizes that that is exactly what she has, she refuses Rank. She doesn't refuse Rank because she is in love with Torvald and not in love with him. On the contrary, Nora sees Rank as a bandaide to her ailment rather than a cure. She sees Rank, finally as a human being rather than a fantasy or a toy, and by doing so, she acknowledges the fact that she would rather be with him than with Torvald, as Kaylee pointed out. By putting her emotions into words (like she does at the end with Torvald) Nora finally realizes that her her codependence on men is both painful to them and to herself, thus forcing her to her crisis point.