Imposter syndrome
The facts – and how to stop it holding you back
You ' ve just been complimented – maybe you ' ve undertaken a Schedule 3 procedure , had your paper published in a journal or received a ‘ thank you ’ letter from a client . But , despite your expertise , training and credentials , you suspect your accomplishment is simply luck and you don ' t deserve praise . Sound familiar ? You could be experiencing imposter syndrome .
What is imposter syndrome ?
A dictionary definition of imposter syndrome ( IS ) is ‘ the persistent inability to believe that one ' s success is deserved or has been legitimately achieved as a result of one ' s own efforts or skills ’. It can occur at any time in a career and manifests in a psychological pattern – a person makes progress , but they feel they don ' t deserve to progress because they ' re not good enough .
Women are more likely than men to experience IS , which could be due to societal and cultural pressures and the fact that women tend to be more sensitive to criticism and judgement , which can undermine their selfconfidence . IS is also more prevalent among perfectionists and people who demand a lot of themselves .
The veterinary profession certainly isn ' t short of perfectionists ! And , with increased demands from regulators , clients , teams and home life , it ' s no wonder many veterinary professionals feel inadequate from time to time . There are simply not enough hours in the day for people to be the ‘ best ’ version of themselves . This can leave many feeling like they ' re falling short of what they deem to be success .
A systematic review [ 1 ] of 62 studies evaluated the prevalence of IS and showed rates as high as 56 – 82 % in graduate students , college students , nurses , medical students and other professionals .
Signs and effects of IS
Katie Ford , a UK veterinary surgeon and winner of the RCVS Inspiration Award 2023 , understands IS and now offers support to others . Based on her research [ 2 ] , you could be experiencing IS if you are :
• described by others as ‘ a perfectionist ‘
• staying at work longer than is expected
• worrying about failing
• comparing your successes with those of others
• focusing on what you haven ' t done rather than what you have done
• feeling you didn ' t get what you wanted or that someone could take it away from you
• thinking your achievements are due to luck or that anyone could have achieved the same thing .
Katie also highlights the effects of IS , which include :
• anxiety , worry and low self-esteem
• missed opportunities and avoiding new tasks
• job dissatisfaction and frequent career changes
• feeling overworked and burnt out
• a sense of frustration and isolation
• a constant fear of being ‘ found out ‘.
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