This article compares peer review in professional versus education settings, summarizing key aspects of scientific peer review and reflecting on how these relate to the process as experienced by students. Consideration of professional peer review benefits educators in two ways. First, systems used for student peer review can employ some of the same tactics employed in professional science to minimize bias, optimize the impact of reviews, and maximize the quality of final manuscripts. In addition, explicit discussion of relevant aspects of professional peer review introduces students to important aspects of the nature of science. (Contains 2 tables and 1 figure.)