Authors
Martha Gallegos, BA MSIV Deanna Gonzales, BS MSIII Vallabh (Raj) Shah, PhD, FASN
Introduction
Imposter Syndrome (IS) is defined as feelings of self-doubt and fear being discovered as an intellectual fraud despite obvious achievements and qualifications. IS has been identified among high achieving individuals in fields such as medicine, with a number of potential implications including anxiety, depression, physician burnout, and other psychological stressors among professionals in healthcare. This study examines the prevalence of IS among medical students attending a United States medical school and recognizes demographic differences in those experiencing imposter syndrome.
Methods
A formal literature review was conducted to assess the current information regarding Imposter Syndrome. A survey was created that obtained demographic data and include Dr. Young's eight-question questionnaire for imposter syndrome. Students who scored greater than or equal to 5 questions were considered positive for Imposter Syndrome. Students were invited to take part in this survey via a link sent to their health sciences email account, which required students to be actively enrolled in the school of medicine, years 2014-2018. Data was then collected and analyzed using IBM SPSS for statistical significance among the minority population.
Results
The total number of 163 students participated in the survey, of which 79 students scored positive for Imposter Syndrome (48%) according to the eight-item validated Imposter Syndrome questionnaire. Female gender was significantly associated with IS (Pearson's correlation=0.231, p value= 0.03) with more than double the percentage of females displaying IS than males (29% of males and 67% of females). Ethnicity was also associated with IS (Pearson's correlation=0.218, p value= 0.03) and was seen more in those who identified as Native American/Pacific Islander and Alaskan Natives. There were no significant correlations between academic year, those who identified as a first-generation college student, had rural primary education, or those with self-reported diagnosed depression.
Conclusion
Imposter Syndrome is present among nearly half of medical students across all four medical cohorts at the University of New Mexico. Future implications for students involving psychological illness may affect future development, professional career choices, and feelings of burnout. Besides, the importance of identifying Imposter Syndrome among medical students could be the first step in preventing physician burnout and optimizing the learning environment by incorporating wellness and promoting inclusion of all phases of the curriculum.
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