Abstract :
Background: Psychologists Clance and Imes coined the term “Impostor Phenomenon”, characterised by feeling of failure and a sense of dishonesty. Self-esteem is a key prerequisite and predictor of IP.Objectives: To evaluate and explore the traits of Impostorism and Self-Esteem and its relationship with gender and academic year among dental students.Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional survey involved undergraduate students (I to IV year), interns, postgraduate students and junior residents at Adesh University Dental School. An electronically administered, 20-item pre-validated Clance Impostor Phenomenon Scale (CIPS) and 10-item pre-validated Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES) was used for data collection. The mean age of students was 18-25 years. Data analysis was performed using IBM-SPSS version 22.Results: The e-questionnaire was sent to 350 potential study participants out of which 332 have completed and recorded data was analysed. The overall response rate was 266 (80.10 %) females and 66 (19.90 %) males. The mean IP score was highest and lowest in the final year dental students and junior residents, respectively. No significant difference was observed based on gender and between year wise IP scores. When Self-esteem was compared for study participants, it was found that greater CIPS scores were linked to lower levels of self-esteem. Conclusions: Impostor phenomenon is prevalent amongst dental students. This may have damaging physical and mental effects with negative consequences. The implementation of a modified curriculum and self-development plans are some of the recommended solutions.
Keyword :
Impostor phenomenon, Impostorism, Self-esteem, Dental education