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El-Setouhy M, Makeen AM, Alqassim AY, Jahlan RA, Hakami MI, Hakami HT, Mahzari IM, Thubab HAA, Haroobi KY, Alaraj HA, El-Hariri HM. Prevalence and correlates of imposter syndrome and self-esteem among medical students at Jazan University, Saudi Arabia: A cross-sectional study. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0303445. [PMID: 38723002 PMCID: PMC11081292 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0303445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Imposter syndrome (IS) and low self-esteem (SE) are common issues affecting medical students that can impact their well-being and development. This study aimed to assess the prevalence and factors associated with IS and SE among medical students at Jazan University, Saudi Arabia. In this cross-sectional study, 523 medical students in years 2-6 at Jazan University, Saudi Arabia, completed validated questionnaires on IS (Young Imposter Scale) and SE (Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale). Sociodemographic factors were also collected. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression analyses were used to analyze IS and SE prevalence and correlates. Five hundred twenty-three students with a mean age of 22.09 ± 1.933 participated. The prevalence of low SE and positive IS was 17.6% and 24.3%, respectively. IS and SE had a significant negative correlation (p<0.001). Several sociodemographic factors were associated with increased IS, including 2nd and 4th-year students, forced study choice, and a grade point average (GPA) of 3.0-3.49 (P<0.05). Paternal education beyond high school was associated with lower IS (P<0.05). Logistic regression analyses confirmed that 2nd-year students had a 3.88 times higher odds ratio (OR) (95% confidence interval (CI); 2.19-6.88), and 4th-year students had a 2.37 times higher OR (95% CI; 1.40-4.02) of IS than other years. For SE, advanced academic years, forced study choice, 7+ hours of sleep, and a GPA above 3.5 were associated with higher levels (P<0.05). Negative self-appraisals were associated with lower SE, while positive attitudes were associated with higher SE (P<0.05). Our study reveals that IS and low SE are prevalent among Jazan University, Saudi Arabia, medical students. Therefore, intervention courses that address these issues in medical education at Jazan University, Saudi Arabia, may be necessary to support medical students' well-being and academic success.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maged El-Setouhy
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Family and Community medicine, Jazan University, Jazan, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
- Faulty of Medicine, Department of Community, Environmental and Occupational Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Anwar M. Makeen
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Family and Community medicine, Jazan University, Jazan, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Ahmad Y. Alqassim
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Family and Community medicine, Jazan University, Jazan, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Riyadh A. Jahlan
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Family and Community medicine, Jazan University, Jazan, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Malik I. Hakami
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Family and Community medicine, Jazan University, Jazan, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Hussam T. Hakami
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Family and Community medicine, Jazan University, Jazan, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Ibrahim M. Mahzari
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Family and Community medicine, Jazan University, Jazan, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Hussam Aldeen A. Thubab
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Family and Community medicine, Jazan University, Jazan, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Khalid Y. Haroobi
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Family and Community medicine, Jazan University, Jazan, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Hassan A. Alaraj
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Family and Community medicine, Jazan University, Jazan, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Hazem M. El-Hariri
- Department of Community Medicine, National Research Centre, Cairo, Egypt
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Narayanamoorthy S, McLaren R, Pendam R, Minkoff H. Are women residents of surgical specialties at a higher risk of developing imposter syndrome? Am J Surg 2024; 227:48-51. [PMID: 37758643 DOI: 10.1016/j.amjsurg.2023.09.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Revised: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 09/17/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Imposter syndrome is a chronic feeling of doubt leading to a sense of incompetence, which is common among trainees. However, little is known about the effect of gender on imposter syndrome among surgical trainees. METHODS An online national survey was distributed to the surgical subspecialty residents between March and September 2022, including demographics, validated Clance Imposter Scale and a short questionnaire evaluating depression and anxiety. RESULTS Of the participants self identified as women (264, 69.1%) and men (118, 30.9%) (response rate 36.4%), the prevalence of imposterism was higher among women trainees (97% vs. 86%; p < 0.0001). Risk factors were being a gynecologist (156, 59%, p < 0.0001), single (157, 59.7% p = 0.007), having no dependents (233, 88.3% p = 0.001), being a foreign graduate (24, 9.1%, p = 0.024) and having feelings of anxiety (82, 31.1% p = 0.012). When using multivariate logistic regression to adjust for these factors, the prevalence of imposter syndrome remained significantly higher among women. CONCLUSION Women trainees belonging to various surgical fields are affected by Imposter syndrome. Residency programs should develop wellness programs and provide mentorship to address this condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sujatha Narayanamoorthy
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Maimonides Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY, 11219, USA.
| | - Rodney McLaren
- Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, 19107, USA.
| | | | - Howard Minkoff
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and the School of Public Health, SUNY Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY, 11203, USA.
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Kim E, Durning SJ, Dupont J, Bulaklak J, Crosier A, Soh M. Exploring Impostor Phenomenon During Onboarding Into a Military Medical School. Mil Med 2023:usad466. [PMID: 38109724 DOI: 10.1093/milmed/usad466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2023] [Revised: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 12/20/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Impostor phenomenon (IP) is an experience where an individual believes that their success was because of chance or luck and was not associated with the mastery of skills. There is a gap in the literature in understanding what role, if any, onboarding (e.g., orientation weeks) into a military medical school plays into student experiences with IP. For many, onboarding serves as the first exposure to the climate, culture, and learning environment of both medical school and the military. Prevention, or early intervention, of IP may reduce potential effects on a medical trainee's confidence and competence in their profession, which may ultimately enhance health care team performance and impact patient outcomes. This study explores if and why military medical students experience IP during a 2-week-long orientation into a military medical school. MATERIALS AND METHODS The study participants were medical students at a military medical school. Researchers conducted semi-structured interviews in August 2022 to explore if and why students experienced IP and deployed the Clance IP Scale as a measure with validity evidence for ascertaining the presence and magnitude of IP. Researchers calculated total scores from the Clance IP Scale and thematically analyzed interview transcripts. RESULTS Researchers interviewed 29 matriculating military medical students. Twenty-one (75%) students reported frequent or intense IP experiences on the Clance IP Scale indicating that IP was present in our study sample. Thematic analysis identified six themes that drove one's experience with IP: reevaluation of merit, individualized diversity and inclusion experiences, administrative and financial support, preconceived expectations, building relationships, and new community roles. CONCLUSIONS Our identified themes provide us with a better understanding of if and why military medical students experience IP during onboarding. Our findings are also consistent with the situated learning theory, which places emphasis on the sense of belonging and may provide a unique and insightful lens through which IP can be further explored and studied, particularly at a military medical school where various identities, dynamics, and aspirations can converge simultaneously. Additionally, our findings suggest that existing practices may benefit from a number of improvements including, but not limited to, tailoring onboarding activities to entail more reflective discussion using small groups, especially for topics related to diversity and inclusion, revisiting areas where students may feel inadequately prepared to transition and perform well in a medical school, reevaluating administrative and financial support that can be roadblocks to a student's transition into the new environment and removing these barriers, and ensuring cultural coherence (organizational alignment of vision and mission) among faculty, staff, and upperclassmen. Future research directions include better understanding how developing single or multiple, identities can impact a medical students' experience with IP during onboarding, pre-clerkship, clerkship, or post-clerkship period, if at all.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eungjae Kim
- F. Edward Hebert School of Medicine Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
| | - Steven J Durning
- F. Edward Hebert School of Medicine Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
- Center for Health Professions Education, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
| | - Jinbum Dupont
- F. Edward Hebert School of Medicine Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
| | - Jezreelyn Bulaklak
- F. Edward Hebert School of Medicine Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
| | - Abigail Crosier
- F. Edward Hebert School of Medicine Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
| | - Michael Soh
- Center for Health Professions Education, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
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Elnaggar M, Alanazi T, Alsayer NA, Alrawili M, Alanazi R, Alghamdi R, Alrwili R. Prevalence and Predictor of Impostor Phenomenon Among Medical Students at Jouf University, Saudi Arabia. Cureus 2023; 15:e48866. [PMID: 38106704 PMCID: PMC10724504 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.48866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIM The impostor phenomenon (IP) was defined in 1978 as an "internal feeling of intellectual phoniness felt by people with outstanding academic and professional achievements." This study aims to estimate the prevalence and predictors of IP among medical students. METHODS A cross-sectional study was conducted from November 2022 to May 2023. A total of 200 medical students from years one to five participated in the survey; the response rate was 82.5% (165). A stratified random sampling technique was used to select groups of male and female Jouf University medical students from the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th batches of the 2022 to 2023 academic year. An e-mail with a self-administered questionnaire comprising the Clance IP scale and a consent form was sent to all participants. The identities of the students were kept anonymous to eliminate response bias. Participation was voluntary. Data were presented in terms of numbers and percentages; a chi-square test was used to compare categorical variables; and multivariable analysis was used to determine predictors of IP using SPSS Statistics version 20 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA). RESULTS A total of 165 students responded to the questionnaire, with a response rate of 82.531%; 47.30% were males, and 86 (52.10%) were females. The findings indicate that 12 (7.3%), 83 (50.30%), 59 (35.80%), and 11 (6.70%) medical students, respectively, suffered from few, moderate, frequent, and intense imposter features. Results also showed that 13 (56.50%) first-year students suffered from moderate IP experiences, and 10 (43.50%) had frequent IP experiences. It was observed that for students in the first year, the academic performance represented by a student's grade point average (GPA), monthly family income, father's educational level, mother's educational level, and marital status are predictors of impostor experience. CONCLUSION The study's findings show that impostor syndrome is a common problem among medical students and that being in the first year of medical school can increase the incidence of suffering from it. The problem-based learning system in medical school can contribute to impostor syndrome among medical students. Both low-achieving and high-achieving students suffer from impostorism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marwa Elnaggar
- Medical Education, College of Medicine, Jouf University, Sakaka, SAU
- Medical Education, College of Medicine, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, EGY
| | - Taif Alanazi
- Community and Family Medicine, College of Medicine, Jouf University, Sakaka, SAU
| | - Norah A Alsayer
- Community and Family Medicine, College of Medicine, Jouf University, Sakaka, SAU
| | - Maram Alrawili
- Community and Family Medicine, College of Medicine, Jouf University, Sakaka, SAU
| | - Rahaf Alanazi
- Community and Family Medicine, College of Medicine, Jouf University, Sakaka, SAU
| | - Ranyah Alghamdi
- Community and Family Medicine, College of Medicine, Jouf University, Sakaka, SAU
| | - Roond Alrwili
- Community and Family Medicine, College of Medicine, Jouf University, Sakaka, SAU
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Al Lawati A, Al Wahaibi A, Al Kharusi F, Fai Chan M, Al Sinawi H. Investigating Impostorism Among Undergraduate Medical Students at Sultan Qaboos University: A Questionnaire-Based Study. Cureus 2023; 15:e45752. [PMID: 37872940 PMCID: PMC10590478 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.45752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/22/2023] [Indexed: 10/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Imposter syndrome or phenomenon (IP) is a behavioral phenomenon observed in successful individuals where they fail to recognize and internalize their achievements. It is often accompanied by feelings of self-doubt, anxiety, depression, and worries of being exposed as frauds, with the impostors often attributing their achievements to external factors like good luck and timing. The presence of IP among medical students is gaining more attention, with studies reporting a strong association with burnout phenomenon, anxiety, and depression. Objectives This study sought to determine the prevalence of IP among Omani medical students and classify the levels of severity among the sample. Methodology This was a cross-sectional, observational study conducted at a public university in Muscat, Oman. The Clance Impostor Phenomenon Scale (CIPS), a validated publicly available questionnaire, was used to determine whether students exhibited impostorism. Students who scored 63 or higher in the CIPS were classified as impostors. In addition, students were also classified based on the severity of their impostorism. As per the CIPS, scores between 41 and 60 indicate mild impostorism, scores between 61 and 80 indicate moderate impostorism, and finally scores between 81 and 100 indicate severe impostorism. Results A total of 276 students participated (M 34%, F 66%), of which 144 (52.2%) were found to have IP with 12.7% exhibiting severe impostorism. Conclusion The results show that IP is present in significant frequencies among medical students; further studies are needed to address this problem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdullah Al Lawati
- College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, OMN
| | - Anas Al Wahaibi
- College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, OMN
| | - Fatma Al Kharusi
- Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Muscat, OMN
| | - Moon Fai Chan
- Family Medicine and Public Health, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, OMN
| | - Hamed Al Sinawi
- Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Muscat, OMN
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Molero Jurado MDM, Pérez-Fuentes MDC, Martos Martínez Á, Gázquez Linares JJ. Emotional intelligence and self-esteem: Personal competencies necessary for physicians. Front Med (Lausanne) 2022; 9:965417. [PMID: 35979217 PMCID: PMC9376887 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2022.965417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2022] [Accepted: 07/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Even though emotional intelligence and self-esteem are truly important variables in healthcare, the fact is that there are few studies on these constructs in Spanish physicians. The objective was to analyze the relationship between self-esteem and emotional intelligence in Spanish physicians, and their relationship with sociodemographic and employment variables. Methods The study included a sample of 180 physicians with a mean age of 34.61, 76.7% of whom were women. The physician completed the Rosenberg self-esteem scale, the Brief Emotional Intelligence Inventory for Senior Citizens and a questionnaire on sociodemographic and work characteristics through a CAWI (Computer Assisted Web Interviewing). Results The results showed that the interpersonal factor of emotional intelligence diminished with age and number of children. Furthermore, women scored significantly higher in interpersonal emotional intelligence and men in adaptability. Physicians with stable contracts (46.1%) scored higher in all the emotional intelligence variables, with almost a small effect size. In the relationship between self-esteem and emotional intelligence, it was found that global self-esteem of physicians was positively related to the Stress Management, Adaptability and Mood dimensions. Physicians with high self-esteem (72.8%) showed better Stress Management and Mood than those with low self-esteem (6.1%), while in the Adaptability factor, physicians with high global self-esteem scored higher than those with medium levels (21.1%). Conclusion The need for a stable employment strategy was demonstrated, since this has repercussions on personal competencies of physicians as well as training in developing those consequences, since they improve physicians' quality of care and leadership, especially women with temporary contracts or with medium or low self-esteem.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - María del Carmen Pérez-Fuentes
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Almería, Almería, Spain
- Department of Psychology, Universidad Politécnica y Artística del Paraguay, Asunción, Paraguay
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