Radboud Annals of Medical Students

RAMS

  • Home
  • Sign up – Masterclasses 2023!
  • News
    • Newsletter archive
  • About
    • RAMS
    • The Board
    • The General Board
      • The General Board (2022-2023)
      • Previous General Boards
    • The Editorial Board
      • The Editorial Board (2022-2023)
      • Previous Editorial Boards
    • The Supervisory Board
    • Reviewers and Editors
    • RAMS Committees
      • Symposium Committee
      • Masterclass Committee
  • Editions
    • 2021-2022
      • Twentieth Edition – September 2021
      • Twentyfirst Edition – December 2021
      • Twenty second Edition – March 2022
    • 2020-2021
      • Sixteenth edition – September 2020
      • Seventeenth edition – December 2020
      • Eighteenth edition – March 2021
      • Nineteenth Edition – June 2021
    • 2019-2020
      • Fourteenth edition – December 2019
      • Fifteenth edition – April 2020
      • Sixteenth edition – September 2020
    • 2018-2019
      • Eleventh Edition – September 2018
      • Twelfth Edition – January 2019
      • Thirteenth edition – May 2019
    • 2017 – 2018
      • Ninth Edition – November 2017
      • Tenth Edition – February 2018
    • 2016-2017
      • Sixth Edition – November 2016
      • Seventh Edition – March 2017
      • Eighth Edition – July 2017
    • 2015-2016
      • Third Edition – November 2015
      • Fourth Edition – March 2016
      • Fifth Edition – June 2016
    • 2014-2015
      • Pilot Edition – June 2014
      • First Edition – January 2015
      • Second Edition – June 2015
  • For Authors
    • Submit your Article
    • Research internship
  • For Supervisors
  • For Reviewers
  • Contact
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookiebeleid (EU)
Je bent hier: Home / News / “The cat is out of the bag: unravelling Impostor Syndrome”

“The cat is out of the bag: unravelling Impostor Syndrome”

7 maart 2021 by Rams

Harshitha Ramu, BSc Biotechnology

Have you ever felt like the perfect score you got on your recent test was because you had sheer good luck? Or that sometimes you find yourself wallowing in misery because your experiments did not work, and you feel like you are not meant to be a scientist?  

Although you may seldomly feel fully confident and feel like you truly belong in your professional landscape, psychologists have described what you feel as a common experience amongst many people (1). They call it the “Impostor Syndrome”, a roller-coaster of an internal experience, often characterised by a fear of being perceived as incompetent, with bouts of self-doubt (2). It was first described in 1978 when Pauline Rose Charles and Suzanne Imes discovered that numerous high-achieving women in academia were convinced they had fooled everybody who thought of them as intelligent, despite possessing legitimate degrees, promotions, and awards (3). 

“Impostors” often attribute their warranted successes to intangible factors, such as luck and good timing (3). The debilitating syndrome also drives its sufferers to deny praise for their achievements and overwork in order to cope with their constant fear of being exposed as frauds, further fuelling the development of low self-esteem, low self-confidence, and feelings of inadequacy (4). Long term effects of feeling insecure and incompetent can include aversion to participation in professional settings and a lower drive to achieve set aspirations and goals. A distinct implication of impostor syndrome is the fear of failure (3). This fear is augmented when “impostors” are faced with challenging tasks that involve evaluation of their performance on completion. The fear of failure causes sufferers to resort to dysfunctional practices, such as procrastination and perfectionism. Sufferers who strive for perfection tend to overwork themselves, which can sometimes cause burnout. They further credit their successes to the amount of work they put in, although it may have been disproportionate to the amount of impact it had on the calibre of the task itself (4). People who indulge in procrastination and intensely work at the last-minute associate their successes with luck. Unfortunately, sufferers of impostor syndrome are usually unable to break their cycle of maladaptive habits due to the fear that breaking them may increase their chances of failing (4). Ironically, some people also experience a fear of succeeding, as this increases visibility and responsibility, therefore increasing the likelihood of being “found out”(1).  

Although breaking free from the shackles of impostor syndrome may seem daunting, it is not impossible. As the fear of being discovered as fraudulent forms the cornerstone of feeling like an impostor, most people suffer in silence and seldom seek help (4). The first step towards navigating through impostor syndrome is to recognise negative, overly self-critical thoughts and acknowledge them for what they are. This strategy not only makes these thoughts less intimidating but also opens up a dialogue between people who experience the same thoughts and feelings (4). Another remedy would be to consciously try internalising one’s accomplishments to counter repeated thoughts of self-doubt. Breaking out of the vicious circle of impostor-like thinking is imperative to triumph over impostor syndrome (4). Two cognitive interventions, namely thought stopping and shipping, can be practised to break toxic cycles of impostor-like thinking. Thought stopping involves identifying negative thoughts and replacing them with positive thoughts rooted in self-compassion and affection (4). This will aid in evolving impostors into people capable of constructive self-criticism of their abilities while fostering compassion instead of striving for impossible perfectionism. Thought shipping promotes the concept of pitching an idea to others without waiting for it to be perfect (4). This forces sufferers to venture out of their comfort zone, boosting personal growth and creativity through learning from mistakes. Finally, seeking professional counselling and therapy can prove extremely beneficial in overcoming impostor syndrome (4).

If you feel overwhelmed at any moment in the future, remember that you are not alone and that probably many people around you feel the same. Dare to pursue your goals and prove impostor syndrome wrong!

References:

[1] Bravata DM, Watts SA, Keefer AL, Madhusudhan DK, Taylor KT, Clark DM, et al. Prevalence, Predictors, and Treatment of Impostor Syndrome: a Systematic Review. J Gen Intern Med. 35(4),1252-75 (2020);.

[2] Ramsey E, Brown D. Feeling like a fraud: Helping students renegotiate their academic identities. College & Undergraduate Libraries. 25(1), 86-90 (2018).

[3] Clance PR, Imes SA. The imposter phenomenon in high achieving women: Dynamics and therapeutic intervention. Psychotherapy: Theory, research & practice. 15(3), 241 (1978).

[4] Chandra S, Huebert CA, Crowley E, Das AM. Impostor Syndrome: Could It Be Holding You or Your Mentees Back? Chest. 156(1), 26-32 (2019).

Categorie: News, Uncategorized

RAMS Newsletter

RAMS complies to the GDPR. By submitting your e-mail address to us you agree with our Privacy Policy.

Social Media


Sponsors & Partners

  • Brian Gardner
  • Lauren Mancke
  • Nathan Rice
  • Nick Croft
  • Rafal Tomal
  • Ron Rennick
© Copyright 2014 RADBOUD ANNALS OF MEDICAL STUDENTS · All Rights Reserved · Powered by PLatform11
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
Cookie SettingsAccept All
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Altijd ingeschakeld
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDuurOmschrijving
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
OPSLAAN & ACCEPTEREN
Aangedreven door CookieYes Logo