As I sat in the classroom listening to Kekeli, I thought to myself, “God, why did you bring me here?” It wasn’t the first time the thought had crossed my mind. And when it wasn’t Kekeli, it was someone else in my class. They all seemed to know what they were doing, and then there was me. ‘Inadequate’ would be an understatement to describe how I felt; it was far worse. I felt like a fraud— a hopeless mouse that had somehow stumbled into a den of cats, waiting to be devoured. Still, I stayed and from my seat behind him that day, listened as he masterfully explained renal physiology to the rest of the class. His confidence made me shrink even further into my chair and all I could think was “I can never measure up.”
If we’re being honest, even to this day, try as I might, I still struggle. But it’s not something new. As far back as 1978, Pauline Clance and Suzanne Imes identified this feeling that psychologists call impostor Syndrome. They described it as a persistent belief that one’s success is undeserved— that one is deceiving others and will eventually be exposed as a fraud. You can imagine that it is especially common among high achieving individuals and medical students are a great prototype for this group. In the academic setting alone, there is the pressure to excel and constant comparison to others while trying to keep up with the perception that family, friends and even society might have of them. All these create fertile ground for self-doubt to grow unchecked.
The mistake though is looking at it as just an emotional reaction or a nagging feeling that’s constituting a nuisance. It can be deeply harmful if left unaddressed, becoming a silent saboteur eroding confidence, stifling growth and breeding feelings of anxiety, burnout and depression. How then do we deal with it?
For me, healing rests on three pillars: Spirituality, Healthy Eating and Healthy Living
Spirituality provides grounding for many people, including myself. It’s a reminder that one’s worth isn’t solely a measure of one’s achievement. Practices associated with spirituality such as prayer, meditation and reflection can help reframe failure as part of a divine process rather than proof of inadequacy ultimately reducing stress and building resilience. Through faith, I have learned to see my challenges as lessons shaping me into something greater, instead of punishments.
Then there’s the place of health, in eating and in living. It may sound cliché, but the mind truly feeds off the body. During my most anxious academic periods, my eating habits were chaotic: skipping meals and overloading on caffeine, and I called it “grind mode.” Unfortunately, it was counterproductive because science has shown that nutrition profoundly affects mood and cognition. I realized that by feeding my body with care, I slowly began to feel more balanced mentally, too.
Beyond food, regular physical activity has been shown to boost self confidence and the belief in one’s ability to succeed. Again, exercise and sleep are often the first causalities of academic hustle. Incorporating movement, even in small doses, releases endorphins that elevate mood and improve concentration, and pairing that with adequate rest and intentional self-compassion slowly chips at the impostor power.
But hold on, impostor feelings don’t vanish overnight. Especially not in competitive spaces like medical school. But by nurturing the spirit, mind and body, we can manage the ebb and flow. In recognizing and understanding the impostor, we aim, not to silence it for that season, but to keep pushing and moving forward in spite of its existence.
So dear medical student, you’re not alone in this. But don’t shut down under the voices. You made it here. You can do this. You’re built for it!
