It’s inevitable that you will be criticized by your colleagues, by your friends, by some professors, and more so by strangers during USMLE review sessions. It helps to keep in mind that "criticism" doesn't necessarily mean negative comments. In the best of all possible worlds, criticism is closely reasoned judgment based on careful evaluation of all available evidence. "You idiot! Can't you answer that simple operating room technique question?" is abuse, not criticism.

In today's culture of self-esteem, many young medical students and medical professionals don't know how to deal with criticism probably because they haven't been subjected to it. Even though your USMLE review mentor is not abusive, it is still part of his or her responsibility to be critical of USMLE review participants. This implies making and communicating positive as well as negative judgments. Nevertheless, thin-skinned participants usually miss the positive remarks altogether and read miles of meaning into mere inches of negative comment. This might be termed the "Woe is me" attitude, which leads directly to worst-case-scenario thinking. "I cannot pass the USMLE."

In order to learn and profit from criticism, it may be necessary to grow a little armor over your thin skin. Learn to listen to what the USMLE review mentor is really saying without inferring hidden meanings. Learn not to react until you have digested the criticism. Control the instinct to become defensive.

Being defensive in the face of legitimate criticism will not do you any good. Count to ten or recite the Preamble to the Constitution before launching a counter-offensive. It also helps to hone your sense of humor.

If you have sufficient reasons to believe that a criticism mentioned was unfair, it is fairly reasonable to respond to it; but frame your response in a friendly and collegial way. If there is a need to discuss the criticism in depth, arrange a private meeting, preferably when the USMLE review mentor is at ease. Try not to be confrontational. Even if the criticism was totally unjustified, phrase your response in terms of what you can do to improve.

When receiving criticism, the rule is to listen and think, not hear and react. It's not easy to learn to value criticism, but doing so is a triumph of intellect over raw emotion. In fact, receiving criticism well – understanding that criticism is an opportunity to learn and improve – is a classic characteristic of good and excellent teachers and mentors and it no doubt helped medical students to rise above the USMLE.