Throughout my research practicum, there have been times when I experienced feelings of self-doubt and imposter syndrome. Despite my academic background and passion for social work, I often questioned whether I was capable of conducting meaningful research and whether I would be prepared enough to enter the social work profession after completing my degree. Even though deep down I know I still have one more year to gain knowledge and experience and that it is normal to feel inadequate and insecure, I still find myself struggling with imposter syndrome. The term “imposter syndrome” was first coined as a notion in 1978 by Suzanne Imes, Ph.D., and Pauline Rose Clance, Ph.D. as an observation first among successful women and other marginalized groups to describe feelings of self-doubt or inadequacy (Huecker et al., 2023). In 2020, a systematic review of 62 studies on imposter syndrome revealed that it affects between 56% and 82% of various groups, including graduate students, college students, nurses, and medical professionals (Bravata et al., 2019) 

After doing a lot of self-reflections and reading on imposter syndrome, I have found some ways to cope with the feeling of being an imposter, one of which is to reflect on my inner strengths, abilities and acknowledge my accomplishments, no matter how small. I also find it helpful to seek feedback from my supervisor and talk to my friend whom I trust. This has really helped me lighten the load of my feelings. My supervisor’s support and feedback have given me a lot of encouragement and motivation to professionally grow while reminding me of my abilities and limits. Additionally, sharing my experiences and struggles with my peers has made me realize that many of them also had similar feelings and that I am not alone in this struggle. Ultimately, I learned that it is okay to feel that way and being kind to myself is essential if I want to make a difference in the lives of the people I will serve in the future practice. 

---

References

Bravata, D. M., Watts, S. A., Keefer, A. L., & Hines, S. (2019). Prevalence, predictors, and treatment of impostor syndrome: A systematic review. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 34(3), 1061-1068. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-019-04922-4

Huecker, M. R., Smock, W., & Whelan, R. (2023). Impostor Syndrome. StatPearls. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK499977/

Imes, S. A., & Clance, P. R. (1978). The Imposter Phenomenon in High Achieving Women: Dynamics and Therapeutic Intervention. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research & Practice, 15(4), 241-247. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0086006