Understanding imposter phenomenon in genetic counselors: Impact and strategies for mitigation

Imposter phenomenon is common in healthcare professionals and other high-achieving fields. It is exhibited as persistent self-doubt in one's abilities, fear of being labeled as a fraud despite evidence of achievements, and the belief that one's successes have been a result of luck rather than having been earned. Downstream effects of imposter phenomenon include impacts on mental health, job progression, and leadership potential. Some groups are disproportionately affected, including underrepresented minorities, women, and trainees/early career faculty. It affects all ages and career stages, yet often exists in a culture of silence. The authors designed a one-day, in-person symposium ("short course") in 2024 to address repeated self-descriptions of "imposter syndrome" in their colleagues. The purpose of the short course was to define imposter phenomenon, explore and identify contributing intrinsic and extrinsic factors, and provide tools for mitigating imposter phenomenon locally. There were 73 attendees who provided real-time aggregate, anonymized feedback. Eighty percent of respondents indicated they likely had imposter phenomenon or had moments of self-doubt. Themes on contributing factors included feeling different, lack of mentorship or social support, hierarchies and lack of leadership support, feeling actual or perceived pressure or going through a change, lack of confidence, taking on new tasks, and being an early career genetic counselor. Although not designed as a scientific study, our findings are the first reported from a cross section of genetic counselors, revealing similarities to those in other high-achieving healthcare professionals. We describe reported strategies and highlight the need for mitigation of feelings of imposter phenomenon on a personal and professional level. This is particularly relevant in light of advances in medical genetics, and genetic counselor leadership needed to incorporate these advances into broader areas of healthcare delivery.