Prevalence and Experiences of Impostor Syndrome in Anaesthesiology Residents and Chief Residents

The Impostor syndrome (IS), as first described by Clance and Imes, is the "Inability to internalize success and the tendency to attribute success to external causes such as luck, error or knowing the appropriate individuals". Failure to recognize personal or professional success may lead to a sense of fraudulence or impostorism and may have negative consequences for career advancement and well-being. IS has been described among men and women in multiple settings worldwide. A systematic review of IS found that it often co-occurs with depression and anxiety and can lead to poor job performance and burnout.

A number of studies have explored IS among health professionals and its impact on professional performance. Healthcare professionals with heavy workloads and responsibility for patient care may be exposed to errors, feelings of self-doubt, anxiety and guilt. A recent scoping review of IS among physicians and physicians in training showed that low self-esteem, institutional culture and female gender were associated with higher rates of IS, which was itself associated with higher rates of burnout. Experiences of underperformance and inadequate self-assessment in physicians were also linked to self-doubt and feelings of fraudulence. Medical culture itself may encourage such individual blame and perfectionism.

IS has not been well studied within the field of anesthesia. Anesthesia is a technical medical specialization characterized by its high stress level. Anesthesiologists are subject to burnout and drug dependence due to their work-related stress and facilitated access to medications. The responsibilities to care for patient lives during unstable periods brought by the surgical act or medical condition generates a particularly high tension for anesthesiologists.

The purpose of our study is to assess the prevalence of IS and burnout in Swiss anesthesiology residents and chief residents and explore in depth the experiences and coping strategies of junior resident anesthesiologists in one French-speaking Swiss hospital.

This will be done by first conducting a survey including two scales (one that assess Burnout (MBI-HSS MP) and one that assess Impostor Syndrome (CIPS)) and a demographic part to understand which residents and chief-residents are more prone to endure such feelings. The investigators also want to understand if those feelings are linked to a recent transition either in institutions or in role.