How do you respond when receiving criticism about your work?

Criticism is an opportunity to develop your skills further and makes you a better dental student and dentist. So how you respond to criticism really matters.

Here is a sample answer to this question:

'I have faced criticism before when I was working in a group project. My teacher told me that my section didn't go in enough detail about the 'oral side effects of cardiovascular drugs'.

When I received this criticism, I was disappointed in myself for not doing my section properly, but I used my teacher's advice and edited my section, so it suited the title better. After my alterations to the group project, the feedback from my teacher and peers was better than I had anticipated.

From this experience, I have learned not to take criticism as an attack and rather an opportunity to develop my skills. I also understand that I will receive criticism at dental school, possibly when it comes to clinical sessions. I need to take this on board and use this as a learning opportunity. Being open to feedback will allow me to be a better dentist to my patients and improve patient care'

In the sample answer, the sample student spoke about a personal experience and took the interviewer on a journey of their personal growth. They also mentioned why taking criticism well is important in dentistry, which is something you should also consider when answering the question.

Suggested structure for this answer:

• Provide a personal example
• Explain how you reacted, making it honest
• Say what you learned from this experience
• Explain the relevance to dentistry