Impostor syndrome in medical students.
Abstract
Impostor syndrome (IS) is defined as the inability to internalize one's accomplishments, particularly affecting high-achieving populations such as medical students. The objective of this study was to determine the frequency of IS and to explore its association with sociodemographic and academic variables. An observational, descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted, applying the Clance Impostor Phenomenon Scale (CIPS) through online surveys to 140 medical students, along with sociodemographic variables. Data were analyzed using non-parametric tests as the primary analysis and parametric tests as confirmation, reporting effect sizes with 95% confidence intervals and a multiple regression model adjusted for confounders. A total of 85.7% of participants showed some degree of IS, and 43.6% reported frequent or intense feelings. No significant differences were observed by sex, source of income, or self-perceived academic performance, but a significant association was found between semester and intensity of the syndrome (p = 0.021; ε² = 0.141), which persisted after adjusting for age, sex, and academic workload. IS represents a frequent challenge in medical training, with a prevalence at the upper end of the international range that varies across the stage of training, supporting the value of exploring institutional interventions, ideally confirmed through longitudinal designs.
Downloads
-
Abstract74
-
pdf (Español (España))30
-
pdf30
-
xml (Español (España))0
References
1. Clance PR, Imes S. The Imposter Phenomenon in High Achieving Women: Dynamics and Therapeutic Intervention. Psychotherapy Theory, Research and Practice. 1978, 15(3), 241-247. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0086006
2. Bravata DM, Watts SA, Keefer AL, Madhusudhan DK, Taylor KT, Clark DM, et al. Prevalence, Predictors, and Treatment of Impostor Syndrome: a Systematic Review. J Gen Intern Med. 2020, 35(4), 1252-1275. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-019-05364-1
3. Yang X, Yeo KJ, Lee S-H, Mat Pa MN. A systematic review of impostor syndrome in higher education. Int J Eval Res Educ. 2024, 13(6), 3884-3892. https://doi.org/10.11591/ijere.v13i6.30726
4. Feenstra S, Begeny CT, Ryan MK, Rink FA, Stoker JI, Jordan J. Contextualizing the Impostor ‘Syndrome’. Front Psychol. 2020, 11, 575024. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.575024
5. Beckman TJ. The Imposter Syndrome in Physicians. Mayo Clin Proc. 2022, 97(11), 1964-1965. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mayocp.2022.09.014
6. Martínez-Solís KA, Zuñiga-Montaño KP. La presión de la perfección: Síndrome del Impostor en medicina. Investigación en Educación Médica. 2024, 13(52), 113-114. https://doi.org/10.22201/fm.20075057e.2024.52.24645
7. Arleo EK, Wagner-Schuman M, McGinty G, Salazar G, Mayr NA. Tackling impostor syndrome: A multidisciplinary approach. Clin Imaging. 2021, 74, 170-172. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clinimag.2020.12.035
8. Siddiqui ZK, Church HR, Jayasuriya R, Boddice T, Tomlinson J. Educational interventions for imposter phenomenon in healthcare: a scoping review. BMC Med Educ. 2024, 24(1), 43. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-023-04984-w
9. Sandoval-Lentisco A, Tortajada M, Palmero LB, Sánchez-Romera JF, Madrid E, López-Pina JA. Psychometric Properties of the Spanish Clance Impostor Scale (S-CIPS). Anales de Psicología. 2024, 40(1), 38-43. https://doi.org/10.6018/analesps.537361
10. Rosenthal S, Schlussel Y, Yaden MB, DeSantis J, Trayes K, Pohl C, et al. Persistent Impostor Phenomenon Is Associated With Distress in Medical Students. Fam Med. 2021, 53(2), 118-122. https://doi.org/10.22454/FamMed.2021.799997
11. Franchi T, Russell-Sewell N. Medical Students and the Impostor Phenomenon: A Coexistence Precipitated and Perpetuated by the Educational Environment? Med Sci Educ. 2022, 33(1), 27-38. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40670-022-01675-x
12. Wrench A, Padilla M, O’Malley C, Patel M, Kanani N. Impostor phenomenon: Prevalence among 1st year medical students and strategies for mitigation. Heliyon. 2024, 10(8), e29478. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e29478
13. Thomas M, Bigatti S. Perfectionism, impostor phenomenon, and mental health in medicine: a literature review. Int J Med Educ. 2020, 11, 201-213. https://doi.org/10.5116/ijme.5f54.c8f8
14. Zeb M, Khattak SK, Shah FO, Jamal F. The imposter syndrome in surgical residents. J Pak Med Assoc. 2023, 73(8), 1706-1708. https://doi.org/10.47391/JPMA.7535
15. Shinawatra P, Kasirawat C, Khunanon P, Boonchan W, Tongkaew D, Lacharoje S, et al. Exploring Factors Affecting Impostor Syndrome among Undergraduate Clinical Medical Students at Chiang Mai University, Thailand: A Cross-Sectional Study. Behav Sci (Basel). 2023, 13(12), 976. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs13120976
16. Vilchez-Cornejo J, Romani L, Chávez-Bustamante SG, Tipismana Barbarán MA, Quiroz-Quezada JL, Quito-Calle JV, et al. Síndrome del impostor y sus factores asociados en estudiantes de Medicina de seis facultades peruanas. Rev Colomb Psiquiatr. 2023, 52(2), 113-120. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rcp.2021.04.011
17. Villwock JA, Sobin LB, Koester LA, Harris TM. Impostor syndrome and burnout among American medical students: a pilot study. Int J Med Educ. 2016, 7, 364-369. https://doi.org/10.5116/ijme.5801.eac4
18. Negrete Aguilar AC, Barbosa Valencia VH, Espinoza Solorio LE. Presencia del fenómeno del impostor en los médicos residentes del HGZ MF2 en Irapuato, Guanajuato, durante el 2022. Jóvenes en la Ciencia. 2023, 22, 1-4. https://www.jovenesenlaciencia.ugto.mx/index.php/jovenesenlaciencia/article/view/4118
19. Masquijo J, Bettendorff M. Entre la confianza y la duda: explorando el síndrome del impostor y el efecto Dunning-Kruger en la profesión médica. Acta Ortop Mex. 2024, 38(2), 71-72. https://doi.org/10.35366/115074
20. Shanafelt TD, Dyrbye LN, Sinsky C, Trockel M, Makowski MS, Tutty M, et al. Imposter Phenomenon in US Physicians Relative to the US Working Population. Mayo Clin Proc. 2022, 97(11), 1981-1993. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mayocp.2022.06.021
21. Tomičević SV, Lang VB. Impostor phenomenon and psychological outcomes among family medicine residents: a cross-sectional study in Croatia. Arh Hig Rada Toksikol. 2025, 76(2), 113-118. https://doi.org/10.2478/aiht-2025-76-3934
Copyright (c) 2026 Servicio de Publicaciones de la Universidad de Murcia
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
The works published in this magazine are subject to the following terms:
1. The Publications Service of the University of Murcia (the publisher) preserves the economic rights (copyright) of the published works and favors and allows them to be reused under the use license indicated in point 2.
2. The works are published under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivative 4.0 license.
3. Self-archiving conditions. Authors are allowed and encouraged to disseminate electronically the pre-print versions (version before being evaluated and sent to the journal) and / or post-print (version evaluated and accepted for publication) of their works before publication , since it favors its circulation and earlier diffusion and with it a possible increase in its citation and reach among the academic community.
This is a Diamond Journal 
