Imposter syndrome and its associated factors in medical students in six Peruvian faculties

Objective

To determine the factors associated with impostor syndrome in medical students from six regions of Peru.

Material and methods

A multicentre, cross-sectional study was conduced on students from first to the sixth year in six Peruvian regions. Sociodemographic, academic, and psychological characteristics were included through the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale and the Clance Imposter Phenomenon Scale. Generalised linear models were performed using crude and adjusted estimated prevalence ratios.

Results

Of 2,231 medical students, 54.3% were female and 30.6% had the impostor phenomenon. An association was found between the PI and those who suffered from depression (aPR = 1.51; 95%CI, 1.27–1.79), anxiety (aPR = 2.25; 95%CI, 1.75–2.90), stress (aPR = 1.37; 95%CI, 1.19–1.57), and being female (aPR = 1.12; 95%CI, 1.01–1.26).

Conclusions

Three out of 10 medical students suffer from PI; having some level of depression, anxiety, stress, being a woman, and/or attending the fourth academic year were predisposing factors for their development.