Skip to content
  • About
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Book
  • Careers
  • Podcast
  • Recommended
  • Speaking
  • All
  • Physician
  • Practice
  • Policy
  • Finance
  • Conditions
  • .edu
  • Patient
  • Meds
  • Tech
  • Social
  • Video
    • All
    • Physician
    • Practice
    • Policy
    • Finance
    • Conditions
    • .edu
    • Patient
    • Meds
    • Tech
    • Social
    • Video
    • About
    • Contact
    • Contribute
    • Book
    • Careers
    • Podcast
    • Recommended
    • Speaking

How microaggressions contribute to impostor syndrome

Jennifer Hunt, MD
Physician
April 22, 2020
Share
Tweet
Share

I accepted my job as chair of the department of pathology at the University of Arkansas before I turned 40, though I didn’t start until after my birthday. I don’t know if I was the youngest chair in the country, but I think I was the only one with a car seat and a spare diaper in my purse. My memories of those first few months are still vivid, even nine years later. “What am I doing here?” I would wonder, “I don’t belong at this table,” I would think; “they made a mistake picking me,” I would lament. In retrospect, the ingredients for this voice were a small dose of self-protection and a larger dose of impostor syndrome.

Impostor syndrome, or impostor phenomenon, was first described in 1978 by Pauline Clance and Suzanne Imes. My simple definition is that impostor syndrome is pervasive self-under-appreciation. In other words, it arises when someone does not recognize, appreciate, and value their own talents and skills. Impostor syndrome can be blamed when other people think you are pretty awesome, and you just can’t see this awesomeness in yourself. It shows up as a smoldering feeling of self-doubt, even when you’ve thought through every angle. It lurks behind the worry that someone will eventually discover that you just aren’t as good as they think you are.

One thing I have learned about impostor syndrome is that it isn’t constant or consistent over time. One moment, you can be feeling strong and capable, and the next moment, you might be doubting every action. In some ways, impostor syndrome is like an auto-immune disease—it waxes and wanes, it flares up in response to certain triggers, and it can only be adequately controlled with diligence and careful attention.

People always wonder where impostor syndrome comes from. As a coach, I am much more interested in talking about helping people overcome it than discovering its roots. One thing I am interested in, however, is what sustains impostor syndrome over time?

For yourself, you might ask, “What manure is being piled on my garden of thistles, and what is fertilizing my impostor tendencies?” Part of that carefully honed mix of manure comes from inside, where impostor syndrome lives, but part of it comes from the outside world, where impostor syndrome thrives. Although I do workshops and talks on the internal drivers, it is also critical to think about the external drivers.

Some forms of discrimination and bias are subtle and quiet—often called “microaggressions” or “microinequities.” A microaggression can be defined as “indirect, subtle, or unintentional discrimination against a member of a marginalized group.” We are finally beginning to recognize how microaggressions and microinequities contribute to reinforcing and growing impostor tendencies. In a world where small inequities are pervasive and constant, there is little doubt they can easily become internalized as some kind of version of our truth. Think about the medical student that I quoted in my book on impostor syndrome:

When I was a medical student, early on in my clinical years, I was on a surgery rotation. The team included me, and all men: a male resident, fellow, and attending. I felt like an outsider, using the other locker room, and not part of their usual banter. One morning, the resident asked me to draw some labs on a patient right before rounds, so I was a few minutes late. The fellow glared at me and asked, “Were you just getting some extra beauty rest, or doing your makeup?” I know I turned bright red and didn’t even know what to say. I still remember how embarrassing that moment was.

Microaggressions against women are relatively common in medicine, and it appears that women are especially attuned to them. Themes include sexism, pregnancy, and child-care bias, underestimating abilities, sexually inappropriate comments, relegation to mundane tasks, and exclusion and marginalization. What professional woman hasn’t been asked inappropriately to get someone coffee, make copies, or take minutes? And what professional woman hasn’t been underestimated and discounted because she is married or has children—or even because she doesn’t? What professional woman hasn’t been told she should act more like a man, or act more like a lady? And these are probably orders of magnitude higher for women of color.

After working with many women physicians who suffer from impostor syndrome, I am tuned into hearing and noticing the impact microaggressions have. If you already experience self-doubt and your self-confidence is already low, hearing microaggressions is like stepping on a thousand tiny thumbtacks—each one might be just an annoyance but, taken together, they will probably hurt. And, this is one way that impostor syndrome continues to thrive.

I hope you are horrified and thinking, “What can I do to stop this cycle?”  First, start noticing accidental and unintentional microaggressions, whether they are your own or those of others. Second, find your own personal way to gently and kindly label them, maybe out loud and in public, or maybe offline. Third, when you receive a tiny cutting blow from a microaggression, practicing letting it drop onto the floor, instead of absorbing it as it makes contact.

Impostor syndrome is pervasive, and it is damaging—and we all probably have a part in its cultivation in our society. We can all have a part in its demise.

Jennifer Hunt is a pathologist and can be reached at her self-titled site, Jennifer Hunt, MD. She is the author of Unlocking Your Authentic Self: Overcoming Impostor Syndrome, Enhancing Self-confidence, and Banishing Self-doubt.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com

ADVERTISEMENT

Prev

An open letter to graduating medical students

April 21, 2020 Kevin 0
…
Next

The Intern: an excerpt from a novel

April 22, 2020 Kevin 0
…

Tagged as: Practice Management

Post navigation

< Previous Post
An open letter to graduating medical students
Next Post >
The Intern: an excerpt from a novel

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

More by Jennifer Hunt, MD

  • Gendered language and impostor syndrome

    Jennifer Hunt, MD

Related Posts

  • How to combat imposter syndrome in medical school

    Margaret Hogan Smoot
  • Imposter syndrome and COVID: a medical student perspective

    Kimia Zarabian and Mai Hasan
  • When imposter syndrome becomes incompatible with the profession of medicine

    Claire Brown
  • A physician’s addiction to social media

    Amanda Xi, MD
  • The difficult to diagnose comorbidity that plagues Ehlers-Danlos syndrome patients

    Julie Griffis, PT and Linda Bluestein, MD
  • The white guys vs. the janitors: How racial microaggressions lead to poor care outcomes 

    Jerenda Bond, DPT

More in Physician

  • When rock bottom is a turning point: Why the turmoil at HHS may be a blessing in disguise

    Muhamad Aly Rifai, MD
  • How grief transformed a psychiatrist’s approach to patient care

    Devina Maya Wadhwa, MD
  • Fear of other people’s opinions nearly killed me. Here’s what freed me.

    Jillian Rigert, MD, DMD
  • What independent and locum tenens doctors need to know about fair market value

    Dennis Hursh, Esq
  • How one simple breakfast question can transform patient care

    Dr. Damane Zehra
  • Nurses are the backbone of medicine—and they deserve better

    Matthew Moeller, MD
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • What’s driving medical students away from primary care?

      ​​Vineeth Amba, MPH, Archita Goyal, and Wayne Altman, MD | Education
    • A faster path to becoming a doctor is possible—here’s how

      Ankit Jain | Education
    • Why no medical malpractice firm responded to my scientific protocol

      Howard Smith, MD | Physician
    • A world without antidepressants: What could possibly go wrong?

      Tomi Mitchell, MD | Meds
    • Why funding cuts to academic medical centers impact all of us [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Bridging the digital divide: Addressing health inequities through home-based AI solutions

      Dr. Sreeram Mullankandy | Tech
  • Past 6 Months

    • Internal Medicine 2025: inspiration at the annual meeting

      American College of Physicians | Physician
    • The silent crisis hurting pain patients and their doctors

      Kayvan Haddadan, MD | Physician
    • What’s driving medical students away from primary care?

      ​​Vineeth Amba, MPH, Archita Goyal, and Wayne Altman, MD | Education
    • What happened to real care in health care?

      Christopher H. Foster, PhD, MPA | Policy
    • Are quotas a solution to physician shortages?

      Jacob Murphy | Education
    • How to build a culture where physicians feel valued [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
  • Recent Posts

    • Why funding cuts to academic medical centers impact all of us [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • What’s driving medical students away from primary care?

      ​​Vineeth Amba, MPH, Archita Goyal, and Wayne Altman, MD | Education
    • When rock bottom is a turning point: Why the turmoil at HHS may be a blessing in disguise

      Muhamad Aly Rifai, MD | Physician
    • How grief transformed a psychiatrist’s approach to patient care

      Devina Maya Wadhwa, MD | Physician
    • A speech pathologist’s key to better, safer patient care

      Adena Dacy, CCC-SLP | Conditions
    • Navigating physician non-competes: a strategy for staying put [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast

Subscribe to KevinMD and never miss a story!

Get free updates delivered free to your inbox.


Find jobs at
Careers by KevinMD.com

Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now.

Learn more

View 1 Comments >

Founded in 2004 by Kevin Pho, MD, KevinMD.com is the web’s leading platform where physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses, medical students, and patients share their insight and tell their stories.

Social

  • Like on Facebook
  • Follow on Twitter
  • Connect on Linkedin
  • Subscribe on Youtube
  • Instagram

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • What’s driving medical students away from primary care?

      ​​Vineeth Amba, MPH, Archita Goyal, and Wayne Altman, MD | Education
    • A faster path to becoming a doctor is possible—here’s how

      Ankit Jain | Education
    • Why no medical malpractice firm responded to my scientific protocol

      Howard Smith, MD | Physician
    • A world without antidepressants: What could possibly go wrong?

      Tomi Mitchell, MD | Meds
    • Why funding cuts to academic medical centers impact all of us [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Bridging the digital divide: Addressing health inequities through home-based AI solutions

      Dr. Sreeram Mullankandy | Tech
  • Past 6 Months

    • Internal Medicine 2025: inspiration at the annual meeting

      American College of Physicians | Physician
    • The silent crisis hurting pain patients and their doctors

      Kayvan Haddadan, MD | Physician
    • What’s driving medical students away from primary care?

      ​​Vineeth Amba, MPH, Archita Goyal, and Wayne Altman, MD | Education
    • What happened to real care in health care?

      Christopher H. Foster, PhD, MPA | Policy
    • Are quotas a solution to physician shortages?

      Jacob Murphy | Education
    • How to build a culture where physicians feel valued [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
  • Recent Posts

    • Why funding cuts to academic medical centers impact all of us [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • What’s driving medical students away from primary care?

      ​​Vineeth Amba, MPH, Archita Goyal, and Wayne Altman, MD | Education
    • When rock bottom is a turning point: Why the turmoil at HHS may be a blessing in disguise

      Muhamad Aly Rifai, MD | Physician
    • How grief transformed a psychiatrist’s approach to patient care

      Devina Maya Wadhwa, MD | Physician
    • A speech pathologist’s key to better, safer patient care

      Adena Dacy, CCC-SLP | Conditions
    • Navigating physician non-competes: a strategy for staying put [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast

MedPage Today Professional

An Everyday Health Property Medpage Today
  • Terms of Use | Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
All Content © KevinMD, LLC
Site by Outthink Group

How microaggressions contribute to impostor syndrome
1 comments

Comments are moderated before they are published. Please read the comment policy.

Loading Comments...