Investigating Impostorism Among Undergraduate Medical Students at Sultan Qaboos University: A Questionnaire-Based Study

Abstract

Background Imposter syndrome or phenomenon (IP) is a behavioral phenomenon observed in successful individuals where they fail to recognize and internalize their achievements. It is often accompanied by feelings of self-doubt, anxiety, depression, and worries of being exposed as frauds, with the impostors often attributing their achievements to external factors like good luck and timing. The presence of IP among medical students is gaining more attention, with studies reporting a strong association with burnout phenomenon, anxiety, and depression. Objectives This study sought to determine the prevalence of IP among Omani medical students and classify the levels of severity among the sample. Methodology This was a cross-sectional, observational study conducted at a public university in Muscat, Oman. The Clance Impostor Phenomenon Scale (CIPS), a validated publicly available questionnaire, was used to determine whether students exhibited impostorism. Students who scored 63 or higher in the CIPS were classified as impostors. In addition, students were also classified based on the severity of their impostorism. As per the CIPS, scores between 41 and 60 indicate mild impostorism, scores between 61 and 80 indicate moderate impostorism, and finally scores between 81 and 100 indicate severe impostorism. Results A total of 276 students participated (M 34%, F 66%), of which 144 (52.2%) were found to have IP with 12.7% exhibiting severe impostorism. Conclusion The results show that IP is present in significant frequencies among medical students; further studies are needed to address this problem.

Keywords: college mental health; impostor syndrome; medical school students; oman; prevalence rate.