To what extent do oral and maxillofacial surgery residents suffer from imposter syndrome?

Abstract

ObjectivesThis study aims to evaluate frequency and severity of Imposter Syndrome (IS) in oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMS) residents and identify factors associated with higher Clance Imposter Phenomenon Survey (CIPS) scores. Study DesignA cross-sectional study was performed with a survey including CIPS, demographic, and training program structure questions distributed to all OMS training programs and residents in the United States. Primary predictor variable was gender and main outcome variable was CIPS score. Statistical analyses were performed using linear regression in R v4.3.1; statistical significance was set to p-value < .05. Results175 OMS residents responded. The average CIPS score was 59.8 (IQR 52, 70). Statistically significant differences were found between average male and female resident scores (56.5 vs. 66.9; p<.001) and male and female single-degree residents (54.3 vs. 73.1; p<.001), but not for dual-degree residents (58.8 vs. 63.9; p=.35). ConclusionsThe average male resident experiences moderate IS, while the average female resident experiences frequent IS. Loss of significance between male and female dual-degree resident scores may be due to the completion of a doctoral degree, an internship, and/or dental board exams upon entering medical school, leading to more favorable accomplishment comparisons among medical school peers.