Figure 1. Clip of actress Samara Weaving during an interview on the iMDB show admitting her imposter syndrome over ‘film chat’ within her industry (2020).

Newsflash: Everyone (yes, everyone) experiences imposter syndrome. I personally felt it when I was a co-captain of my division III collegiate rowing team, when I attended PhD orientation for GW IBS, and even when I started taking boxing classes. Imposter syndrome reminds me of that nagging voice in my head, whispering negative thoughts that often evokes self-doubt [insert ‘Big Mouth’s’ Anxiety mosquito’s best friend]. 

Back in 1978, imposter syndrome (IS) was first described by psychologists Clance and Imes who observed a psychological pattern of self-doubt and inadequacy, or ‘intellectual phoniness’, more prevalent in high-achieving women (1). Since the 70’s, psychology researchers describe IS as persistent and unmerited self-doubt, where individuals often compare themself to their peers, feel they do not belong to the group, and fear being recognized as an imposter or fraud (2). Those with IS tend to believe competency is not measured by their achievements but from an internal set of standards that are never perceived to be met, or are more due to chance rather than ability and expertise (2). Like a feedback loop, the tendency to minimize the importance of their achievements reinforces the belief that their peers are highly successful and yet they still do not belong among them. 

Over the decades five main subtypes have been described of IS, detailed in Figure 2 (2),  highlighting common themes of negative evaluation, self-talk, and distorted perceptions of reality.

Figure 2. The 5 Subtypes of Imposter Syndrome adapted from Dr. Valerie Young’s book ‘The Secret Thoughts of Successful Women: Why Capable People Suffer From the Impostor Syndrome and How to Thrive in Spite of It’ (2).

It is estimated that roughly 70% of the general population will experience IS at least once during their lifetime, and approximately 56-82% of graduate students experience IS during their higher education (2, 3, 4, 5). Although initially reported among women, research has demonstrated IS can affect people among any age group, gender, professional or racial demographic. However individuals among minoritized groups are more likely to experience IS due to racism and social stigmas (2, 6, 7). 

We each take on many different roles within several social spaces, so we’re bound to feel like an imposter at something. There are several reasons you might lean into IS, but being part of a PhD-level graduate program creates a natural environment for IS to arise. Uniquely blending our status as a student, a research trainee and a full-time employee, we are stretching our abilities and learning new techniques with pressure to perform at a high skill level to get accurate and precise data. At the same time, we’re also trying to gain standing in the field amongst our role models, mentors, and peers. This comes at a time while we’re transitioning into young adulthood, exploring the professional world, and learning how to be independent adults. This phase of our life naturally brings new challenges and opportunities that will test and refine skills to use later in our future training and adult careers. 

It is well-known that IS can have a significant impact on our psychological, physical and professional well-being. Not only can IS bring up general psychological distress, anxiety and depression, but can also enhance burnout (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and low motivation), physical exhaustion and overworking, avoidance of high-priority tasks, fixed mindset, and dismissal of positive feedback (2). 

In my third year, I noticed how IS led me to second-guess myself and procrastinate executing new approaches from fear of failing due to lack of knowledge over something seemingly simple. But I realized I was missing the points of my PhD training where I was meant to be challenged and learn from experience in order to further grow competency and confidence in my skills. Acknowledging how IS impacts my own beliefs about myself and my abilities helped me to figure out how to quiet that voice down and propel forward despite my fears, insecurities and worries. Not only does every person on this planet feel like they aren’t good enough at something they want to be part of, but I am willing to bet every IBS student feels a tinge of IS during their PhD experience. Now when IS creeps up, I remind myself that I am not alone in my feelings, but also that I am the constant. I have always figured out how to get out of the mess, overcome the obstacles to correct my mistakes and navigate towards a better outcome.

Figure 3. Clip of Viola Johnson pretending to be her brother Sebastian to play on the men’s varsity soccer team at Ilyria Prepatory from the movie She’s the Man (2006). 

Working through IS may look different for each of us, and even if it never completely goes away, there are several coping mechanisms. So whether IS arises while you are preparing for your qualifier oral examination, presenting new data to your lab or committee, writing a review paper, or addressing comments on a recently submitted paper, try some of the below tactics to help combat IS in real-time.

General Tips to Combat IS:

1. Practice Mindfulness. Try sitting in your awareness of your emotional state and thoughts so you don’t react to them immediately. Tune into the narrative that you are creating and take breaths to distance yourself from unwanted mindsets. Acknowledging when your mind drifts to triggering thoughts and feelings can help you uncover any irrational beliefs or unrealistic expectations that may be reinforcing them.
   1. Journaling can help with getting the thoughts and emotions out of your internal space and enable you to brainstorm solutions to work through those feelings when they arise in real-time. 
2. Redirect Negative Self-Talk. Because our brains are extremely perceptive and internalize how we think on both a conscious and subconscious level, try intervening your thoughts when you catch them in a negative spiral. Take a deep breath to pause the narrative and to re-focus on what you know to be true. Try not to dwell on all of the possible negative scenarios and imagine all the positive outcomes, remember both are equally possible. It is important to redirect our inner dialogue to combat IS by telling ourselves the positive encouragement we need to build self-confidence in our strengths but also strengthen our willingness to problem-solve and learn in order to grow towards the outcomes we desire. 
3. Talk it out with a science peer. Part of IS is holding fear that if you open up about those feelings then it will validate what we are fearful to admit. Remembering we all can feel this way at times should encourage us to not suffer in silence. Opening up can help to break the cycle of internalizing our fears, realizing they are natural as we all can relate, but irrational and not worth as much weight as we give them. Learning from other’s experiences not only helps us feel less alone, but can also introduce new coping mechanisms to navigate our own challenges with IS. And in creating a supportive space with your science peers who understand the challenges of academic science research and can empathize with your experiences and vulnerabilities will be an empowering and valuable resource for throughout your PhD training. 
4. Recognize your expertise. Relish the positives and take the time to celebrate all your wins, even the small ones! Downplaying our achievements is common among doctoral students but remember how far you’ve come and that each landmark was an accomplishment in its own right. It might help to write down your accomplishments and detail where you gained expertise and confidence in what you were working on. Acknowledge where you made mistakes or failed, but express gratitude over what those learning moments brought to your level of understanding and skill development that became necessary for you to make the progress you’ve made up to now. 
5. Avoid Perfectionism / Just do it. Oftentimes IS can lead to an increased pressure to succeed and on the first try, which can lead to procrastination and further internalize self-doubt. Recognize when you lean into your fears and when it makes you feel cautious, doubtful and conservative. Take a step back to gain perspective on your expectations and set priorities for what you want to accomplish. Determine how to do ‘well enough’ to address your priorities and meet your expectations, rather than attempting to do it all at once and ‘perfectly’. Give yourself permission to fail and for it to be okay, knowing that it will give you a greater sense of how to optimize your approaches and get better results in your next attempt. 
6. Embrace a Growth Mindset. Remember that training to be an independent scientist is meant to be a learning process, and to grow we must fail. Focusing less on the outcome and embracing the joy of discovery, honing in on the topics of interest we are curious about, and expanding on the skills we want to build our expertise in are part of the training journey. See new experiences and challenges as an opportunity to learn something and expand on your current abilities. Gain the knowledge you need to start, make your plan, and acknowledge you are going to be bad or may not get complete results on your first try, and that it is okay. A growth mindset will not only help against IS, but will empower you to challenge yourself in areas you know little, to be proactive and productive in that ambiguity, and to venture into the unknown with more confidence and assurance that you will succeed in your own way and in time.
   1. Also it’s important to remember during your PhD training you don’t need to be an expert in anything. Embrace this part of your career as the starting point for learning, growing and building your expertise through experience. 

Figure 4. Re-scripted clip of Arya Stark and her sword trainer Syrio Forel from Game of Thrones (Season 1 episode 6).

You are not alone in your struggles with IS, so don’t hesitate to reach out to GW SOBS or your mentor for help, advice or a grounding chat. The journey towards a PhD is challenging in more ways than one, but with determination, coping strategies and a supportive network, you can rise above IS and become the resilient scientist you are capable of.