Medical oncologists with imposter syndrome suffer from burnout

BackgroundImposter Syndrome (IS) is defined as “the inability to internalize achievement and a tendency to attribute success to external factors such as luck, error, or personal connections. It has been associated with psychological distress, emotional suffering, and significant mental health issues. It has also been associated with Burnout (BO), characterized by the emotional exhaustion of individuals in their careers, depersonalization toward other individuals, and a decrease in the sense of personal accomplishments. The study aimed to evaluate the factors associated with IS and its association with BO in medical oncologists (MOs).MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted focusing on the MOs actively working in the field. They were invited to the study via mailing list. The sociodemographic and academic data were collected. The IS scores (ISS) was tested using the Clance imposter phenomenon Scale and BO was tested by using the Maslach burnout inventory. The subscales of BO; emotional exhaustion (EE), depersonalization (DP), and personal accomplishment (PA) were analyzed. The characteristics associated with IS and BO were tested by univariate and multivariate analysis.ResultsIn the study, 417 MOs with a median age of 40(29-68) were evaluated. The mean of ISS was 50.8+/-15.3, and 122(29.3%) participants had high ISS. The multivariate analysis revealed that female gender was the only factor associated with high ISS (OR: 1.85, CI95%, 1.1- 2.9, p=0.009). While there was a strong positive correlation between ISS and EE (r=0.54, p<0.001) and DP (r=0.48, p<0.001), a strong and negative correlation was found between ISS and PA score (r= -0.41, p<0.001). In the multivariate analysis; high ISS score was the only statistically significant parameter associated with a high EE score (OR:5.03, CI 95% 3.1-8.0, p<0.001), high DP scores (OR=3.4, CI 95% 1.8- 6.5, p<0.001) and low PA scores. (OR=3.73, CI 95% 1.9- 7.1, p<0.001).ConclusionsThe results of the study indicated that IS is prevalent in MOs. The MOs with IS were more emotionally exhausted and more depersonalized. In addition, they had less feeling of personal accomplishment. The IS and its consequences on MOs should be further studied and the strategies to cope with IS should be developed.Legal entity responsible for the studyThe authors.FundingHas not received any funding.DisclosureAll authors have declared no conflicts of interest.