From Imposter Syndrome to Strength

Imposter syndrome is prevalent among residents and junior faculty and can lead to increased rates of burnout and depression. It has been estimated that approximately 70% of the population has experienced imposter syndrome at some point in their lives. It occurs many times throughout medical training as new interns question their skill set, upper-level residents have difficulty leading teams, and junior faculty question their decision making. It is a spectrum that can range from small thoughts of being fraudulent to being unable to work or advance because of the constant fear of being incompetent. Many factors place residents at high risk for imposter syndrome; for one, it is often seen in high achieving individuals and in high stress situations, which describes the current health care environment. Individuals often struggle, feel inadequate, and alone in their feelings, which can lead to burnout and poor patient outcomes. In this workshop, presenters will contextualize the contributing factors that lead to imposter syndrome including the psychological and the social-psychological perspectives at the societal, institutional, and interpersonal levels. Through understanding the contributing factors, participants will evaluate strategies to alleviate imposter syndrome through program improvement using a think-pair-share model, rewriting the narrative, and developing of a driver diagram. Participants will leave with a better understanding of the varied contributing factors leading to imposter syndrome, a mental model to help residents work through their imposter syndrome, and an approach that can support program improvement efforts.