P001 Leadership Institute: When Excellence isn't Enough: Imposter Syndrome, Comparison Culture, and the Quest for Authentic Identity in Medicine
DESCRIPTION
Despite achieving educational and professional excellence, a surprisingly high number of physicians struggle with imposter syndrome and unease about their accomplishments and performance as compared to their peers. Comparison culture and the pressure to present oneself as perfect and above self-doubt is exhausting and leads to isolation, career dissatisfaction, and burn out. A profession consistently engaged in evaluation and competition can encourage a distorted underestimate of one’s value. This session offers an understanding of how imposter syndrome and “never-good-enough-itis” arise and offers a framework for developing a more realistic self-appraisal of professional worth. It seeks to support the quest for authentic identity focused on genuine ability, deeply-held values, and personal meaning.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Identify environmental, cultural, and personal factors that increase the risk of imposter phenomena and high self-criticism.
Consider when to focus on improvement and development and when to seek acceptance of deficits or limitations.
Develop leadership and mentoring strategies that discourage imposter phenomena.
SPEAKERS
Jennifer Lucas, MD, FAAD
Amy MacDonald
Prairie Psychotherapy Services
SPEAKER DISCLOSURES
Jennifer Lucas, MD, FAAD
Abbott Pharmaceuticals – Stockholder(Stock); Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. – Stockholder(Stock);
Amy MacDonald
No financial relationships exist with ineligible companies.