ArticleMedical education2020
Impostor syndrome among physicians and physicians in training: A scoping review.
Article in Medical education, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to 3 registered trials, which are not on this map. Cited by 113 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
IMPROV-ing The Impostor Phenomenon
Prevalence and Experiences of Impostor Syndrome in Anaesthesiology Residents and Chief Residents
Impact of Implementing a Daily Learning Conversation on the Mental Well-being of Anesthesiology Teachers and Trainees
Who cites it
113 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 298 citations in OpenAlex.
- Rethinking the impostor phenomenon: An umbrella review of concept, context and interventions.Medical education · 2026Pooled it
- Global prevalence of impostor phenomenon in medical students: A systematic review and meta-analysis.PloS one · 2026Pooled it
- Global prevalence of imposter syndrome in health service providers: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC psychology · 2025Pooled it
- The effectiveness of online educational interventions on impostor syndrome and burnout among medical trainees: a systematic review.BMC medical education · 2024Pooled it
- Exploring the evolution of US medical students' social support networks across the continuum: a cross-sectional group interview study.Medical education online · 2026Article
- Imposterism and Self-Efficacy Among Canadian Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Residents: A National Survey.The Laryngoscope · 2026Article
- Gateway to belonging? A mixed-methods study exploring the experiences of widening participation students in a UK medical school.BMJ open · 2026Article
- Threats to neonatologists' professional identity formation: ethical implications of condensing neonatal-perinatal fellowship.Journal of perinatology : official journal of the California Perinatal Association · 2026Review
- Junior doctors' experiences with vulnerability: A rich picture study.Medical education · 2026Observational
- Real Play Enhances Authenticity and Reduces Stress in Learning Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.Academic psychiatry : the journal of the American Association of Directors of Psychiatric Residency Training and the Association for Academic Psychiatry · 2026Article
- The Assessment of Prevalence and Predictors of Impostor Phenomenon Feelings Among Dental Students in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina-A Cross-Sectional Study.Health science reports · 2026Article
- Beyond the numbers: Understanding and acting on gender gaps in academic dermatology.Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology : JEADV · 2026Article
- Health profession students' anxiety, depression, and imposter syndrome in a rural versus urban setting.BMC medical education · 2026Article
- Pregnancy and Motherhood Experiences of Turkish Women Anaesthesiologists in Training and Work Life.Turkish journal of anaesthesiology and reanimation · 2026Article
- The prevalence and characteristics of imposter syndrome among anesthesiology staff and trainees in British Columbia, Canada: an online survey study.Canadian journal of anaesthesia = Journal canadien d'anesthesie · 2026Article
- 25-year analysis of gender and professional trends in authorship of highly cited articles in leading ophthalmology journals.European journal of ophthalmology · 2026Article
- Association Between Fear of Failure and Impostor Syndrome Among Medical Students: A Cross-Sectional Study.BMC psychology · 2026Article
- Supporting doctors' professional identity development through specialist training.Anatomical sciences education · 2026Article
- Gender Differences in Self-Assessment Among Clerkship Medical Students Despite Equivalent Academic and Clinical Performance.Academic psychiatry : the journal of the American Association of Directors of Psychiatric Residency Training and the Association for Academic Psychiatry · 2026Article
- Prevalence and Correlates of Impostor Syndrome and Self-Esteem among Medical Students.International journal of preventive medicine · 2026Article
53 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
- Commented on by
- Commented on by
Authors and funding
5 authors at 5 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
contextImpostor syndrome (IS) is increasingly recognised as a condition among physicians and physicians in training. Impostor syndrome is especially problematic because of its association with increased rates of burnout and suicide. In order to address this issue, we need to fully understand its prevalence, scope, and factors associated with IS. The purpose of this scoping review is to analyse the existing literature on IS among practising physicians and physicians in training in order to identify current trends and directions for future research.
methodsThe authors conducted a literature search of nine databases for any articles on IS among practising physicians or physicians in training published prior to January 2019. Two reviewers independently screened articles and identified 18 papers meeting the study inclusion criteria. Two authors independently extracted data and performed quantitative and qualitative syntheses consistent with best practice recommendations for scoping reviews.
resultsMost studies utilised the Clance Impostor Phenomenon Scale and cited rates of IS ranging from 22% to 60%. Studies found that gender, low self-esteem and institutional culture were associated with higher rates of IS, whereas social support, validation of success, positive affirmation, and both personal and shared reflections were protective. Overall, IS was also associated with higher rates of burnout.
conclusionsThis review summarises the existing literature on IS among practising physicians and physicians in training, providing valuable insights and areas for future research.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.