Personal Essay: As a woman in STEM, I’m learning to combat imposter syndrome |
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At an academic conference in September, I gave my first oral presentation on my rural stroke research. At first, all I could think about was why I’d been selected and why anyone would listen to me. I had yet to receive my MD, and the project was my own idea, selected solely on merit.
During this conference, and at each stage of my medical training and education, I’ve felt this distrust in myself. I’ve been waiting for the other shoe to drop, for someone to realize I’m not actually good enough to be where I am.
I realized this feeling of doubt is called imposter syndrome. It’s estimated that about 70% of the population has experienced imposter syndrome at some point, with women more likely to experience this phenomenon. One study found that 97.5% of women in STEM experience imposter syndrome.
The environments we work and study in often play a factor in this. Systemic biases themselves often make people feel like they don’t belong. Racial, xenophobic and socioeconomic biases........