Imposter Syndrome in medical school is a very common experience. Imposter Syndrome is a psychological phenomenon where one feels like they don’t belong somewhere, despite having the qualifications. Medical school is so hard and stressful, that you could easily feel like you don’t belong there everyday.
But at the end of the day, medical school admissions is so selective, that [pretty much] everyone there is supposed to be there. A few do slip through the cracks through on something other than merit. But if you worked your tail off to be in medical school, then without a doubt, you are supposed to be there.
Imposter syndrome in medical school can be disastrous. It impacts your self-confidence and self-efficacy and can eventually lead to a lack of motivation and burnout. It’s really a top-down effect where your mind controls your actions, effort, happiness and energy. Medical school is supposed to be hard or everyone would be a doctor. Take the challenges in stride and keep reading to find out how to overcome Imposter Syndrome in medical school.
Stay in your lane
The hardest part about medical school is feeling confident 24/7 that you are supposed to be there. Medical school is almost like hazing, in my opinion. They literally break you down and strip you to the studs. Despite what degrees or credentials you may have coming into medical school, there is no experience like it. The workload, the high demand, and the attention to detail is a lot for everyone. I constantly have professors say “No way could I have passed medical school now with how hard it is.” And they’re already doctors! [I often wonder how do they expect me to do it if they couldn’t….but I digress.]
It’s also easy to feel overwhelmed in medical school because everyone has different strengths. My strength is the social/clinical part of medicine, not the biological hard sciences. Therefore, it’s much more difficult for me in my systems courses than my clinical medicine classes. It’s easy for me to feel as if I don’t belong when I have classmates zooming by me in those hard science classes.
However, in other classes I’m outscoring them as well. So, it’s necessary to take stock of your own strengths and realize that everyone is on a different path and different speeds. Everyone has different resources, and some people are straight up liars. Therefore, you really never know how others are doing.
This is why it’s important to stay in your own lane. Comparison is the thief of joy Your only competition in medical school is yourself. If you are working to the best of your ability, then that’s all that matters. You may need to try different approaches to find a learning style that works for you. However, don’t doubt your ability to do the work.
Be mindful of your “why” to overcome Imposter Syndrome in medical school
Recently I’ve been having a lot of feelings of “I could have done something else. Why am I torturing myself to make hundreds of thousands of dollars a decade from now? There has to be something else that could get me to that same level, faster, and with less stress.”
This is absolutely Imposter Syndrome talking. I’m in medical school because I want to have the influence that doctors have on society so I can make the changes that I think could benefit my community. I also enjoy helping people but a help that I can directly provide; not a help them help themselves situation. As a physician, specifically a surgeon, I can directly influence someone’s quality of life by performing a surgery. As a college coach (my plan B) or a therapist, I wouldn’t be able to have a direct impact on the outcome, regardless of how hard I worked. That’s what helps me to distinguish my desire to be a doctor from other professions.
I have to consciously put this “why” in front of my face to remind myself that my current path is the only way to achieve those very specific goals. If you can find your why and place it on your mirror or write it down somewhere visible, then you can help yourself overcome Imposter Syndrome in medical school.
Seek out mentors to overcome Imposter Syndrome in medical school
The other most important part of medical school is to seek out mentors. Mentors can give you an outside perspective. It can be the encouragement that you need that you are not doing as terrible as you think you are. We can be our own worst critics, which can be positive if we’re holding ourselves accountable. However, it can quickly become destructive if we don’t have a positive, realistic approach to self-criticism.
I have mentors that help give me perspective on what I’m doing, what I can change, and my trajectory towards my future goals. I have no idea what the road to residency looks like. Therefore, I have to rely on the advice and direction of those who have already been through the process. Those are mentors in my school and in the community who can all give me their own advice. From there, I can take what they’re saying and apply their words to the best of my ability.
If you want to overcome Imposter Syndrome in medical school, then it’s imperative you find a mentor. A mentor is someone that may or may not share characteristics with you, but whom you believe to have your best interest at heart. They are someone who will be honest with you, but also encouraging. When you begin to doubt yourself, this person should help pick you up by your bootstraps and push you to continue down the path.
Use your resources
Imposter syndrome in medical school normally becomes an issue after something bad or frustrating happened. Because we are students, bad grades is normally the thing that impacts our beliefs in our abilities to become a doctor. However, medical school exams are so particular, that grades aren’t necessarily just indicative of your knowledge. They are really a reflection of your hard work and your ability to apply the material.
I know that I can go and memorize everything given to me and go and regurgitate it. But the actual application is problematic for me, which is what the exams test me on. So I had to go outside of myself and use other resources. Those other resources helped me learn to take exams and learn material in a way that is efficient.
As medical students, it can be embarrassing to seek out help and get “tutoring”. But at the end of the day, if you’ve never been to medical school before, how can you expect to pass with flying colors on the first try? It’s okay to seek out help. If your school has those services, use them. Also use different resources to learn the material. Medical school is in no way shape or form a uniform approach. Everyone uses a mix of different approaches to learn. Find a way, or two, that work for you and don’t be afraid to ask for help.
Get involved to reaffirm your purpose
Hands on experience is the top driver for achieving goals. After my first year of medical school, I was feeling a little tired and just unmotivated. But then I shadowed a plastic surgeon and got some hands-on experience that truly helped me reaffirm my purpose. The effect that she had on her patients was the exact impact that I am trying to have on my patients. I would have never had that experienced had I not shadowed her. I felt like I needed that experience to provide some extrinsic motivation on why I am doing what I’m doing.
If you want to overcome Imposter Syndrome in medical school, then you have to get some experience or do something that helps you reaffirm your purpose. Hands on experience takes what you’re learning in the classroom and helps make it real. When all you do is read, then you just feel like a student. Nothing feels real, or sometimes interesting, about what you’re doing.
But, if you can volunteer, shadow or even work in the field that you may be interested in, then you can help to reaffirm your purpose. Use this affirmation to motivate you to finish the road and tell yourself, “I am supposed to be here.”
Self-reflect to know the difference between Imposter Syndrome and Genuine Disinterest
Imposter syndrome in medical school can be so blinding that you could really feel like medical school is no longer for you anymore. If you’re one of those individuals, than the last five bullet points were for you. But sometimes, it’s not Imposter Syndrome and you truly just don’t like it. You’ve put in the work, but you just don’t have a passion for medicine anymore. If that’s the case, then it’s absolutely okay to walk away. Medical school is too expensive and too hard to not be head over heels about it, or at least have a purpose so strong that it outweighs the hardships.
If you begin having moments where you don’t love it, I wouldn’t act impulsively. Take moments to reflect on if it’s just doubt or you truly are doing something you hate. You may be able to tell the difference when your feelings are stable through the good and the bad. Imposter syndrome normally peaks around hard times and fades away in moments of success and confidence boosts. However, if your dislike never wanes, even with successful times, then it’s probably time to reevaluate and figure out what it is you want to do and how well does medical school line up with that. Speak to your mentors and anyone else who can help you make a good decision.
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