The Imposter Syndrome in Surgical Residents

Abstract

Imposter syndrome (IS) is an internal sensation of intellectual phoniness in persons who feel fraudulence and worthlessness. The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of imposter syndrome among surgical residents. A web-based survey was conducted among all surgical residents of PGMI, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, from May 1, 2022 to May 30, 2022. Of the 156 respondents, 104 (66.7%) were males and 52 (33.3%) were females. Moderate imposterism was seen in 81(51.9%) of the respondents and 57 (36.5%) respondents reported severe or intense imposterism. Among postgraduate residents, no significant differences in Clance Imposter Phenomenon Scale score by year was noted (p = 0.291). Imposter syndrome was highly prevalent among surgical residents, i.e. 138(88.5%) falling in the range of either moderate, severe, or intense imposterism. Prevalence was more among female residents as compared to male residents. Year of training didn’t have any impact on the grades of imposterism.