Impostor syndrome and burnout among American medical students: a pilot study

Jennifer A Villwock, Lindsay B Sobin, Lindsey A Koester, Tucker M Harris, Jennifer A Villwock, Lindsay B Sobin, Lindsey A Koester, Tucker M Harris

Abstract

Objectives: To describe levels of burnout and impostor syndrome (IS) in medical students, and to recognize demographic differences in those experiencing burnout and IS.

Methods: Anonymous survey administered online in 2014 that included demographic data, the Maslach Burnout Inventory and an IS screening questionnaire. Main outcome measures were level of burnout, and presence or absence of imposter syndrome. The presence of IS and burnout components were analyzed across age, gender, race, year of training, intention to pursue fellowship training, and greater than one year of work experience outside of medicine using chi-squared tests. The association between burnout and IS was also compared using chi-squared tests.

Results: One hundred and thirty-eight students completed the questionnaire. Female gender was significantly associated with IS (χ2(3)=10.6, p=0.004) with more than double the percentage of females displaying IS than their male counterparts (49.4% of females versus 23.7% of males). IS was significantly associated with the burnout components of exhaustion (χ2 (2)=5.9, p=0.045), cynicism (χ2(2)=9.4, p=0.004), emotional exhaustion (χ2(2)=8.0, p=0.018), and depersonalization (χ2 (2)=10.3, p=0.006). The fourth year of medical school was significantly associated with IS (χ2(3)=10.5, p=0.015).

Conclusions: Almost a quarter of male medical students and nearly half of female students experience IS and IS was found to be significantly associated with burnout indices. Given the high psychological morbidity of these conditions, this association cannot be ignored. It behooves us to reconsider facets of medical education (i.e. shame-based learning and overall teaching style) and optimize the medical learning environment.

Keywords: american medical students; impostor syndrome; pilot study; usa.

References

    1. McCray LW, Cronholm PF, Bogner HR, Gallo JJ, Neill RA. Resident physician burnout: is there hope? Fam Med. 2008;40:626–632.
    1. Pajares F. Toward a Positive Psychology of Academic Motivation. J Educ Res. 2001;95:27–35. doi: 10.1080/00220670109598780.
    1. Cozzarelli C, Major B. Exploring the Validity of the Impostor Phenomenon. J Soc Clin Psychol. 1990;9:401–417. doi: 10.1521/jscp.1990.9.4.401.
    1. Cohen MJ, Kay A, Youakim JM, Balaicuis JM, Balacius JM. Identity transformation in medical students. Am J Psychoanal. 2009;69:43–52. doi: 10.1057/ajp.2008.38.
    1. Kolligian J, Sternberg RJ. Perceived fraudulence in young adults: is there an "imposter syndrome"? J Pers Assess. 1991;56:308–326. doi: 10.1207/s15327752jpa5602_10.
    1. Legassie J, Zibrowski EM, Goldszmidt MA. Measuring resident well-being: impostorism and burnout syndrome in residency. J Gen Intern Med. 2008;23:1090–1094. doi: 10.1007/s11606-008-0536-x.
    1. Oriel K, Plane MB, Mundt M. Family medicine residents and the impostor phenomenon. Fam Med. 2004;36:248–252.
    1. Maslach C, Jackson SE. The measurement of experienced burnout. Journal of Occupational Behaviour. 1981;2(2):99-113.
    1. Maslach C, Jackson, SE, Leiter, MP. Maslach burnout inventory manual. 3rd ed. Mountain View, California: CPP; 1996.
    1. Koeske GF, Koeske RD. Construct Validity of the Maslach Burnout Inventory: A Critical Review and Reconceptualization. The Journal of Applied Behavioral Science. 1989;25:131–144. doi: 10.1177/0021886389252004.
    1. Kumar S, Jagacinski CM. Imposters have goals too: The imposter phenomenon and its relationship to achievement goal theory. Personality and Individual Differences. 2006;40:147–157. doi: 10.1016/j.paid.2005.05.014.
    1. Clance PR, Imes SA. The imposter phenomenon in high achieving women: Dynamics and therapeutic intervention. Psychotherapy: Theory Research & Practice. 1978;15:241–247. doi: 10.1037/h0086006.
    1. Krasner MS, Epstein RM, Beckman H, Suchman AL, Chapman B, Mooney CJ, Quill TE. Association of an educational program in mindful communication with burnout, empathy, and attitudes among primary care physicians. JAMA. 2009;302:1284–1293. doi: 10.1001/jama.2009.1384.
    1. Maslach C, Schaufeli WB, Leiter MP. Job burnout. Annu Rev Psychol. 2001;52:397–422. doi: 10.1146/annurev.psych.52.1.397.
    1. Dralle H, Lorenz K, Machens A. Verdicts on malpractice claims after thyroid surgery: emerging trends and future directions. Head Neck. 2012;34:1591–1596. doi: 10.1002/hed.21970.
    1. Dyrbye LN, Thomas MR, Massie FS, Power DV, Eacker A, Harper W, Durning S, Moutier C, Szydlo DW, Novotny PJ, Sloan JA, Shanafelt TD. Burnout and suicidal ideation among U.S. medical students. Ann Intern Med. 2008;149:334–341. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-149-5-200809020-00008.
    1. Carson AJ, Dias S, Johnston A, McLoughlin MA, O'Connor M, Robinson BL, Sellar RS, Trewavas JJ, Wojcik W. Mental health in medical students. A case control study using the 60 item General Health Questionnaire. Scott Med J. 2000;45:115–116.
    1. Paro HB, Morales NM, Silva CH, Rezende CH, Pinto RM, Morales RR, Mendonça TM, Prado MM. Health-related quality of life of medical students. Med Educ. 2010;44:227–235. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2923.2009.03587.x.
    1. Shanafelt TD, Bradley KA, Wipf JE, Back AL. Burnout and self-reported patient care in an internal medicine residency program. Ann Intern Med. 2002;136:358–367.
    1. Chopra SS, Sotile WM, Sotile MO. STUDENTJAMA. Physician burnout. JAMA. 2004;291:633. doi: 10.1001/jama.291.5.633.
    1. Mastenbroek NJ, van Beukelen P, Demerouti E, Scherpbier AJ, Jaarsma AD. Effects of a 1 year development programme for recently graduated veterinary professionals on personal and job resources: a combined quantitative and qualitative approach. BMC Vet Res. 2015;11:311. doi: 10.1186/s12917-015-0627-y.
    1. Elmore LC, Jeffe DB, Jin L, Awad MM, Turnbull IR. National Survey of Burnout among US General Surgery Residents. J Am Coll Surg. 2016;223:440–451. doi: 10.1016/j.jamcollsurg.2016.05.014.

Source: PubMed

Patrocinadores y Colaboradores

Condiciones médicas

Intervenciones de drogas

3
Suscribir