Visions by WIMIN: Imposter Phenomenon

Eman Akam-Baxter; Christine M O'Brien; Sanhita Sinharay; Veronica Clavijo-Jordan; Susana Bulnes Rodriguez; Jenny Nneka Ijoma; Anmol Kustagi; Mahnue Sahn; Fatoumata Diop; Kyeara Mack; Natasha Malonza; Natalia Herrero Alvarez

doi:10.1007/s11307-024-01971-5

Visions by WIMIN: Imposter Phenomenon

Mol Imaging Biol. 2025 Jan 7. doi: 10.1007/s11307-024-01971-5. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Cardiovascular Research Center, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 149 13th Street, Charlestown, MA, USA. [email protected].
² Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA.
³ Department of Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India.
⁴ Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, USA.
⁵ Brandeis University, Waltham, MA, USA.
⁶ Rutgers, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ, USA.
⁷ Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.
⁸ Central Connecticut State University, New Britain, CT, USA.
⁹ New York University Langone Health, New York University, New York, NY, USA.
¹⁰ Department of Radiology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.
¹¹ Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
¹² Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA.
¹³ Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY, 10065, USA. [email protected].

PMID: 39777596
DOI: 10.1007/s11307-024-01971-5

Abstract

The imposter phenomenon (IP) is a destructive set of beliefs, traits, and experiences in which high-achieving individuals fail to internalize their accomplishments and falsely perceive themselves as frauds. IP is a function of underrepresentation and contributes to and perpetuates a cycle of low self-worth, perfectionism, and anxiety, all of which negatively affect job performance and reinforce the IP cycle. Mitigating the deleterious effects of IP requires first naming this phenomenon and recognizing the patterns of IP. In this article, we summarize pertinent social science literature on this topic and share experiences of IP as told by the authors and anonymous contributors. We highlight the potential destructive effects of IP, as well as strategies that mentors and trainees can utilize to counter this phenomenon.

Keywords: Imposter phenomenon; Mentoring; Underrepresented trainees.