Imposter Syndrome

 

Imposter syndrome is when a person does not feel like they are competent or intelligent enough to be doing the things they are qualified to do. It seems like this is especially evident in the healthcare field. And even though most people think they are the only person who feels this way, as it turns out, most people actually do or have at some point. This is something we have learned about a lot during our master’s program, and it has made me realize that I have also felt this way in multiple different situations. However, learning about imposter syndrome has helped me figure out what can cause it and what I can do to combat it. The times I have felt most like an “imposter” has been leading up to a fieldwork or being on fieldwork. There is always the anxiety of “I don’t know what I’m doing” or “I feel like I don’t know anything” or the fear of failure, but I also know that I would not be where I am if I wasn’t capable of doing it.

From reading the article “Facing Imposter Syndrome as a New Grad” by Suzy Albanese, I have learned that it is important to self-reflect and stop holding yourself to unachievable standards. One way I self-reflected is by completing the Chance IP Scale. I scored a 57 which means I am on the higher end of having moderate imposter phenomena experiences. This made me realize that I am actually more confident in my skills and knowledge than I thought before completing this assessment. While I definitely still do struggle with imposter syndrome, this can help me see the areas I struggle with more and I can self-reflect to figure out why I feel this way and determine ways to help combat the imposter syndrome. As I move into Level II Fieldwork, this self-reflection will help me feel more confident in skills and putting myself out there to do things I would not normally feel comfortable or capable of doing. Albanese said in her article “we are not imposters, we are beginners,” and I will remember that as I go into fieldworks and my first job as an occupational therapy practitioner.

 

References:

Albanese, S. (2019, January 31). Facing imposter syndrome as a new grad. Eyes On Eyecare. https://eyesoneyecare.com/resources/facing-impostor-syndrome-new-grad/#:~:text=This%20can%20lead%20to%20a,as%20a%20first%2Dtime%20OT. 

P.R. Clance. (1985). Clance IP Scale. https://paulineroseclance.com/pdf/IPTestandscoring.pdf

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