“Impostor phenomenon” is a pattern of thoughts in which an individual feels like a fraud and doesn’t deserve the success, position, and/or accolades one has achieved, even though one’s objective skills and competence would suggest the opposite. Impostor phenomenon can warp admirable traits, such as humility and respect for others’ hard work, into weapons against one’s self-esteem. If you’ve ever experienced self-doubt despite external badges of success, you are not alone: this insidious frame of mind is surprisingly common among accomplished individuals, and it is particularly prominent among graduate students.
Some thoughts that may pass through your mind:
“How did I even get accepted to this graduate program? The other students all seem smarter than me. They’ll find out I’m a fraud soon enough.”
“Why was I awarded this competitive fellowship over my peers? There’s no way my application was better than theirs; I’m too new to the field.”
“Everyone in my laboratory works harder than me. I will never measure up and never reach their level of productivity, even though I’m working overtime myself.”
“Why do I keep getting promoted? I’ve never had experience in a position like this before. How far will I get before they realize that I’m not as great as I seem on paper?”
“I feel like a fake.”
“I just got lucky.”
Led by Ph.D. candidate Neelima Vaddadi, the Student Wellbeing and Academic Life committees of the Graduate Student Association for Neuroscience hosted a seminar to raise awareness of impostor phenomenon this past April. Six faculty members graciously agreed to form a panel and shared their personal stories of academic success accompanied by self-doubt and also answered questions from the student attendees. The panel comprised six professors and assistant professors from biological sciences and neuroscience departments, all of whom had a unique story about their journey to their current position: Dr. Tomoko Ohyama, Dr. Anne McKinney, Dr. Loydie Majewska, Dr. Mallar Chakravarty, Dr. Gary Armstrong, and Dr. Tim Kennedy.
The panelists shared several meaningful pieces of advice with the attendees. These sentiments are sure to resonate with any student who may be struggling to navigate both the setbacks and achievements one faces in academia.
On Imposter Phenomenon:
- “Plenty of people in life will want to bring you down. If someone sees something positive in you, just go with it and see what happens—don’t doubt yourself.”
- “The underlying cause of impostor phenomenon is insecurity and the drive to be better.”
- “Make a list of things you have done throughout the day. Then you can see how much you’re already doing.”
On work-life balance:
- “You do not need to be available or reachable 24/7. It’s important to take time for yourself and set boundaries or you might burn out.”
- “If you’re tired, sleep; if you’re hungry, eat, if you feel yourself burning out, take a break.”
- “[I had a] 7am-4pm lab schedule when my kids were young. Childhood is really short—figure out a way to spend time with your kids. You’ll always have time to write grants later in life. You can’t play LEGO with an 18-year-old.”
- “I don’t care when you do the work, as long as it gets done.”
- “If your family doesn’t understand the work culture of academia, they might just be concerned whether or not you’re happy doing what you’re doing. If you truly love it, they might eventually come around and accept it, even if they don’t understand.”
On supervisor relationships and expectations:
- “If your supervisor is asking too much of you, you need to have a realistic conversation with them. Tell them what you already have on your plate and how you can’t accommodate an additional project at the moment.”
- “You try to work for yourself, not your PI. It’s your project. You need to enjoy the project and try to not compare with other people.”
- “Talk to us if you’re feeling this pressure, we (supervisors) don’t always know how long something takes. Sometimes, supervisors are still learning how to mentor, too. Make this conversation about prioritizing which tasks the supervisor wants you to do. If you think something is going to take you 3 days, say you need 4. Then turn it in early and you’ll look even better.”
Overall, it is important to confront the stigma of impostor phenomenon and the reality of academic challenges in order to promote healthy coping strategies and problem-solving skills. We are very grateful that these professors took the time to share their wisdom, woes, and honest advice with the attendees.
Note: For more information on impostor phenomenon – here’s a link to an article published on our blog in 2017 : https://bit.ly/2Pb1dY2