ndividuals with the Impostor syndrome practice strong feelings like their achievements are unfair and worry that they are likely to be exposed as a fraud. it is a set of feelings of fear, doubt, nervousness, and a defective cycle of post-success anxiety, which involves successful young people. 

This psychological deficit can be a complication to the improvement and use of their hidden talents. Firstly, the Impostor syndrome was believed to only affect professional women. Though, now feeling like an impostor seems to be widely experienced. Successive research has shown Impostorism affects a wide range of people. For example, Impostorism has been observed to affect both genders. Additionally, It is estimated that 70% of people will experience at least one event of this Impostor syndrome in their lives. 

Research declared that anyone can view themselves as an impostor if they fail to adopt their success and this experience is not limited to people who are highly successful. 

Students are one of the high-risk groups for this syndrome. Students suffering from Imposter Syndrome develop feelings of self-doubt and have fear that they will be exposed by others as a person with academic fraud. As they consider themselves as less capable and smart than perceived by their classmates, teachers, families, and society. These sufferers fail to prove themselves as knowledgeable, skill full, and as people who have accomplished the goal by the quality of their abilities, which they actually own.

Overall, they believe themselves to be less intelligent and competent than others perceive them to be. Imposter syndrome is associated with anxiety, low level of self-esteem, lack of confidence and a labile self-concept. Imposter syndrome has many important consequences on medical education and training. The sufferers are usually shy to initiate a discussion or speak out or volunteer answers or define facts during a class, academic activity, or even day to day candid conversations. Because of this hesitancy, they develop different styles of learning and find it difficult to learn through conventional or usual teaching strategies. 

The four main features of the family that can contribute to the development and spread of Imposter Syndrome are :

 1. Awareness of imposters that their talents are atypical compared to other family members,

 2. Family messages that carry the importance of academic abilities and that success requires little effort

3. Disagreement between feedback about impostors’ ability and success derived from family and other sources

 4. Lack of positive reinforcement. 

A greater understanding of the factors contributing to Impostorism and its consequences may lead to effective interventions that reduce psychological distress.

Written by Manseerat Bacchal

Edited by Ria Bhatia