I'm kind of lucky here - all the non-doctors have refrained from criticizing my potential in a field they know nothing about and so have all the medical professionals I've ever come in contact with. If I had a doctor telling me, "I think you'll suck," I'd think twice, but instead of bursting into tears and setting my AMCAS on fire, I'd just ask him or her to explain exactly why and then give me suggestions on how to fix whatever they think is lacking. And as far as negative comments from people who are not familiar with the field - not only are they not doctors, but I probably already know more than they do, by virtue of being personally involved in the application process. It's like when I have problems at work - I'll listen to my stepfather's suggestions, because he's been in the workforce for 20 years and is a top manager, but I generally ignore my mother's, since she doesn't know what she's talking about. You just have to filter what comes your way.
