The Pattern of Imposter Syndrome
Imposter syndrome is everywhere. So many of us—especially high-achieving women in medicine—struggle with it silently.
We hide it behind credentials, performance, and long hours, convincing ourselves that the unease we feel is proof that something is wrong with us. It isn’t.
Once you understand where imposter syndrome comes from, you can begin to see that it’s not a flaw at all. It’s simply a thought error. And thoughts can be changed.
What Imposter Syndrome Really Is
Imposter syndrome isn’t a diagnosis. It doesn’t appear in the DSM-5.
Nor is imposter syndrome a disease or a defect of character. It’s a repetitive mental habit that interprets success through the lens of self-protection. Your brain quite literally wants to keep you safe in the cave as opposed to venturing out into the scary, dangerous, unpredictable world.
At its core, it’s the belief that you’re not as capable, competent, or worthy as others believe you to be. Imposter syndrome is when your brain knows you have all the credentials to be a surgeon, but your nervous system believes you shouldn’t be operating, that there’s a more capable surgeon who would better serve your patients.
It’s a quiet voice that whispers, They’re going to find out I don’t actually know what I’m doing, even when all evidence says otherwise.
You might recognize it in yourself if:
You think your accomplishments were accidental—that you just got lucky, worked harder than everyone else, or happened to be in the right place at the right time.
You believe persistence explains your success more than talent. “I’m just a hard worker”.
You worry that someday someone will realize you’re not as skilled or smart as they thought.
If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone. Lots of high-achieving professionals have been there.
Why Surgery Magnifies It
Surgery cultivates the perfect environment for imposter syndrome to thrive.
The culture rewards perfectionism, performance, and productivity. From early training, we’re taught that excellence equals worth, that competence leaves no room for error, and that humility means constant self-doubt.
But that mindset has a cost: it leaves no room for humanity.
When your sense of value depends on external validation like grades, rankings, titles, and outcomes, any moment of uncertainty feels like exposure.
Normal self-doubt starts to feel like evidence of fraudulence. And the higher you climb, the louder that voice becomes.
The Good News
Imposter syndrome is completely manageable.
Confidence isn’t the absence of doubt; it’s the ability to act with integrity and purpose despite doubt. You don’t have to wait until you feel perfectly sure of yourself to show up as your best self. You can begin now: imperfect, capable, and fully human.
At its core, imposter syndrome is a learned habit of thought, and habits can be unlearned.
Thoughts are just sentences in your mind. The ones you rehearse most often become beliefs. And when those beliefs limit your potential, they become limiting beliefs.
The best part? You have complete authority over the thoughts you choose to practice about yourself.
Changing them is simple—but simple doesn’t mean easy. It takes awareness, repetition, and compassion.
That’s the real work of transformation: choosing thoughts that serve you, again and again, until self-trust becomes your new default.
Reflection Prompt:
Where does your imposter voice show up most—before a big case, after a complication, or when you receive praise?
Noticing the pattern is the first step in changing it
Next in this series: My personal story of the inner imposter, and how silence in surgery keeps it alive.
Need support now? Join us in Empowered Surgeons Group.
