A0628 - Impostor Phenomenon and Microaggression Education and Self-Assessment in Female Healthcare Professionals in the Field of Gastroenterology

Natalie Farha, MD¹, Aline Charabaty, MD, FACG², Anita Afzali, MD, MPH, FACG³, Carol A. Burke, MD, FACG^1
1Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH; ²Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Washington, DC; ³University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH

Introduction: Many high-achieving individuals, despite contrary evidence, believe their successes are due to luck rather than their own competence. This experience is termed “impostor phenomenon (IP).” IP and another experience, called micro-aggressions (MA), in the workplace may limit an individual’s ability to achieve career goals and professional satisfaction. A lecture was provided at a womens leadership conference to raise awareness about the prevalence of and strategies to mitigate IP and MA. Herein, we describe attendees’ assessment of their understanding of and exposure to IP and MA in order to understand the prevalence of these phenomena in female healthcare professionals and to guide future educational programming.

Methods: Attendees were invited to complete an anonymous survey for self-reflection, including demographic information, experience with IP and micro-aggressions, and completion of the Clance IP Scale, a validated survey assessing the level of IP characteristics. Surveys were collected at the conclusion of the lecture on IP and MA. We report group demographics, prevalence of IP and MA, and factors associated with level of IP. Demographic data is reported as percentages and survey scores reported as means.

Results: 86/132 (65%) attendees completed the survey and 97.7% were female. (Table 1) 50% were practicing gastroenterologists, 21.3% GI fellows, 13.8% medical residents, 6.3% advanced practice providers, and 1.3% medical students. 88.2% reported having experienced feelings of IP and 92.7% reported being a target of MA. The mean Clance IP scale score was 66.8 (ranging from 39 – 91). Only 1.2% of respondents reported few IP experiences while 69% scored in the frequent to intense feelings of IP. Black, younger, and medical trainee respondents had the highest IP scores compared to practicing gastroenterologists, advanced practice providers, and other respondents. IP scale scores decreased with age. (Figure 1)

Discussion: Exposure to IP and MA is experienced almost universally by female healthcare professionals in the field of gastroenterology. IP is quantified as frequent and severe in nearly 3 of every 4 respondents. Based on our survey results, future educational programming to increase awareness of these issues and provide solutions to addressing them should be tailored towards early identification and intervention in trainees and young professionals as well as creating inclusive work environments that address systemic bias and fostering a work culture that supports diversity.




Disclosures:


Natalie Farha, MD¹, Aline Charabaty, MD, FACG², Anita Afzali, MD, MPH, FACG³, Carol A. Burke, MD, FACG¹. A0628 - Impostor Phenomenon and Microaggression Education and Self-Assessment in Female Healthcare Professionals in the Field of Gastroenterology, ACG 2022 Annual Scientific Meeting Abstracts. Charlotte, NC: American College of Gastroenterology.