Super Star Blogs!

Imposter Syndrome: Reasons and Remedies (Part 2 The Solution)

There I was, about to present at Duke University Medicine Grand Rounds for the first time. I was about to share a few interesting cases in front of a room full of some of the brightest minds I had ever met. There would likely be at least one or two Nobel laureates in attendance.

And then… that little voice entered my head again. “This is it! This is it! They’ll finally call you out for what you are [A FRAUD]! You know you don’t belong here. You don’t even look or talk like any of them. It was all luck. They’ll get you this time!”

That pesky Imposter Syndrome had reared its ugly head at me once again. I thought I had defeated it during medical school and again during residency but it seemed the higher up I went, it came back with a vengeance. So, as before, I had to go back on the attack. Here are a few strategies that have (and continue) to help me.

Even this fella had a little imposter in him.

1. Recognize There is a Problem

As we discussed in the prior blog, understanding you are dealing with imposter syndrome is essential for fixing the problem. Again, this is a very common experience affecting roughly 70% of the general population. High achieving individuals (such as premeds) are especially vulnerable. Those who allow it to fester tend to avoid anxiety-provoking situations and this may ultimately hurt them. Taking the assessment at the end of the last blog can help you know if this is something you are dealing with. Once you have established that this is an issue, then we may proceed. If you can pinpoint what has precipitated these feelings then you can learn to fight back. For those who have felt as though they were always judged and critiqued by others, you may need to recognize this and confront it head-on. For many, you are fighting a larger, complex societal system filled with biases against people who look like you, doing what you do. This is unfortunate and can make you feel isolated and very out of place at times but stay encouraged my friend. If you allow it, this can actually provide a huge motivational source to becoming the best physician you can be.

2. Build Your Confidence

This is at the very crux of the problem. As mentioned, a lot of us who have experienced or continue to experience imposter syndrome developed this after many years of exposure to a trigger. Therefore, one can’t expect it will be resolved overnight. There are a few things I have used successfully to build self-esteem. I adopted a number of them while observing many well-respected physicians in medical school. It wasn’t always the case that they were the wisest but they exuded great confidence that took them a long way.

a. Dress sharp

b. Have good posture

c. Sit towards the front of class

d. Walk fast

e. Work out

f. Find a positive friend you can be open with

g. Mentor others

Think of the most confident person you know. Do they share these characteristics? Are there other traits confident individuals in your life poses? By incorporating these habits, you will begin to feel more confident in yourself and this will project to those around you. Your biggest challenge now will be to avoid being overconfident.

3. Change Your Mindset

Once you have recognized your problem, faced it head-on, and built your self-esteem, you will automatically begin viewing the world differently. You will realize that this was no mistake. You deserve to be here and worked your butt off. You will realize that you are amongst an esteemed group for making it to college, medical school, residency, etc.. Why compete with anyone? Realize that others are not infatuated with you nor are they expecting you to fail. Stop comparing yourself with others and simply focus on being the best YOU that you can be. Humble yourself always. Step out of your comfort zone and accept challenges rather than avoid them. Take time to review your CV or PreMed STAR profile to appreciate how accomplished you truly are. Hopefully this allows you to realize that you are a star after all.

So, there you have it. These were strategies that helped me combat the imposter syndrome. Back to my Grand Rounds presentation. I stood out in front of my peers and attendings that Friday morning, recognized that I am the expert, and ROCKED IT!

I sure hope this helped. I’d love to hear your thoughts, battles you’ve faced and tips you have used to overcome the imposter syndrome. Feel free to message me or comment below.

PreMed Mondays Podcast Week 8: 5 Ways to Stay Physically and Mentally Healthy as a Premed

Week 8 of the PreMed Mondays book covers 5 ways to stay mentally and physically healthy as a premed! On this episode, I’ll go into detail on these five items.

1) Have a study plan

2) Eat right

3) Exercise 3 times a week

4) Read for pleasure

5) Party!

Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes or Google Play

Congratulations to Tema! Premed of the Week!

1. Tell us a little bit about yourself. I am currently a rising senior at Simmons in Boston,MA where I study biochemistry with a minor in biostatistics. I’m originally from one of the best states (in my opinion): Georgia! I am first generation Cameroonian and come from a very STEM/healthcare oriented family. I am applying to medical school this current cycle which is nerve-wracking but also so exiting!

2. Who was your favorite teacher in school and how did he or she impact you? Interestingly, my favorite teachers have all been from outside of the sciences. The best teacher I have had was my high school chorus teacher. He really showed that he believed I could achieve my goals and created an environment that fostered intellectually stimulating conversations. I learned a lot about myself and many life lessons from him, including the importance of having good people in your corner. To this day, all these years later, we still speak!

3. When did you first decide you wanted to become a doctor and why? I am one of those people who has wanted to be a doctor for as long as I can remember. I have a lot of people in healthcare in my family and always found medicine and science interesting!

4. What area of medicine are you interested in? Plastic Surgery was the first field I fell in love with because of how intriguing it is; as much of an art as it is science. I am also interested in Ob/Gyn because I find women’s health to be extremely important.

5. What’s the coolest experience you’ve had so far on your premedical journey? Doing my summer internship in Uganda during summer of 2017 had to have been my best experience! I not only got to do biostatistical research but was also granted the opportunity to shadow in the local hospital,travel around the country, and gain an amazing mentor.

6. What is your favorite book? Black Man in a White Coat is my favorite book as of late!

7. Tell us one thing interesting about you that most people don’t know. I did choir for over 10 years, even competing in the ICCAs during college (the competition from pitch perfect)!

8. If you couldn’t be a doctor, what would you want to do? Realistically, I would get my MPH and go into public health since I have a passion for healthcare equity and social justice.

9. What has been your biggest obstacle as a premed and how did you (or are you) overcome it? One of my biggest obstacles as a premed was feeling I was not good enough and could not make it on this journey. I have been able to overcome that feeling by not comparing myself to others (which can be very hard to do) and having a strong support system!

10. What do you like most about PreMed STAR? I am not only able to connect with other premeds but also I get great advice and am able to organize my activities in a way that has helped me during this application cycle! I recommend it to all premeds I know.

Bad TV Medicine – 5 Annoying Mistakes From TV Shows

I can’t help it! It’s near impossible for me to watch a medical show on TV without picking out all the things they’re doing wrong. I do my best to sit back and simply enjoy, but the errors always jump out at me. Most of them aren’t really a big deal. Maybe a nurse draws blood at the wrong angle, or the CPR breaths are done wrong. That’s okay, I can live with that. But then there are others that simply drive me CRAZY! Here are 5 of them:

1. The Non-intubated patient: As a lung and ICU doctor, this one takes the cake for me. Time after time, TV patients who are supposed to be in respiratory failure and on mechanical ventilation for life support aren’t really intubated. For those who don’t know, intubation is when we put a breathing tube into a patient’s trachea and connect them to the ventilator to help them breath. The TV guys often miss one big part of this process, showing the tube in the patient’s mouth. Here’s a really big hint about life support in respiratory failure patients…it won’t work if the tube isn’t in the right place!

2. Let’s shock a patient in asystole (flatline). Okay, I’m sure you’ve seen this one. A patient dies and everyone goes crazy. They place the defibrillation pads on him or her then show an EKG with no electrical rhythm (asystole/flatline). Then you hear the doc yell, “CLEAR” and they shock the patient. That’s COMPLETELY wrong! Defibrillation is not how we treat asystole. Don’t try this one at home folks!

3. Doctors who do everything. I first noticed this one on House MD. House and his team rarely ever called for a consult. They did everything on their own. From Infectious Disease, to Radiology, to Surgeries, they were experts in all of it. Sorry to burst your bubble, but when you’re wearing that white coat, you might be good, but you won’t be that good. No doctor can do it all, we specialize for a reason.

4. Surviving the lung stab. A classic scene; the bad guy stabs the good guy right in the chest. Good guy screams, moans, and keeps on fighting. A little blood oozes onto the shirt but not enough to slow down our hero. A few moments later, the bad guy is handcuffed (or dead) and good guy is sitting down in a little pain. Here’s the reality of the situation, when people get stabbed in the chest with a big enough weapon, they’re likely going to get a pneumothorax (collapses lung). Beyond the critical blood vessels that might be hit which could be enough to lead to death, the collapsed lung would drain their breath and eventually could lead to cardiac arrest. Most of those patients will need a chest tube in that situation.

5. Full recovery within seconds of CPR. How about the scene when a person drowns then gets CPR. What typically happens next on TV? They cough up some water, look tired for a second or two, then recover fully to 100%. Fact check! Most patients who code don’t come back from it (i.e. they die). Even in the hospital with the best medical care we have, a lot of patients still die post cardiac arrest. And if they do survive, most take several months to regain full function (if they ever reach that point).

Have you seen any medical errors on TV? Which ones give you a good laugh? Share in the comments.

I hope this post doesn’t ruin your enjoyment in medical dramas. Although they’re annoying at times, they’re also rather entertaining and add a level of humor to the show. Just don’t try these tactics at home!

PreMed Mondays Podcast Week 7: 5 Reasons to Choose Your Friends Wisely

Week 7 of the PreMed Mondays book covers 5 reasons to choose your friends wisely!

1) They will influence how you spend your time

2) Friends build character

3) Friends are your support system

4) People judge you based on the company you keep

5) Friends are a key source of resources

Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes or Google Play

Congratulations to Payton! Premed of the Week!

1. Tell us a little bit about yourself. Hey y’all! My name is Payton Smith. I was born and raised in Frisco, Texas. I am currently going into my junior year at the University of North Texas. My major is Kinesiology with a minor in chemistry. I originally entered college hoping to one day be a collegiate women’s basketball coach, but after spending a year as the team manager for the women’s basketball team at UNT, I felt like I was still missing something. That is when I found medicine, and I have not looked back.

2. Who was your favorite teacher in school and how did he or she impact you? My favorite professor so far has been my American Literature professor, Jacqueline Walker. Although the content of her class may not be directed towards the medical field, what she has taught me has a person is something I will carry forever. No matter the circumstances, Professor Walker always had a smile on her face, always gave us words of encouragement, and always was honest and real with us. I admire her for that, and I am a better person (and writer) for taking her course.

3. When did you first decide you wanted to become a doctor and why? I first decided that I wanted to be a doctor towards the end of my freshman year of college. I know that that is late for most people, but for me, I always saw myself involved with basketball. All of that changed for me when my brother was diagnosed with an AVM in his right hip my senior year of high school. Being a part of his journey and seeing the amazing work that his doctors have done over the last two and half years of his treatment has sparked a passion and curiosity in me that basketball did not live up to. As I continued to be around the medical field, I found that my interest had shifted to being a doctor, and I decided to follow the premedical path.

4. What area of medicine are you interested in? I am extremely interested in the emergency medicine field because I love how it keeps me on my toes. It blow my mind that you can walk into one room to treat a common cold and than walk across the hall and have to perform a life saving procedure. The adrenaline rush and mental challenge that the environment offers makes me always want to go back.

5. What’s the coolest experience you’ve had so far on your premedical journey? One of the coolest things that I have experienced so far in my premedical journey is traveling to Honduras this summer to help doctors in a local community. The experience was extremely humbling. We were able to treat 957 patients in only four days. Every patient there taught me something, whether it was about something referring to medicine or about just making the best out of what life throws at you. It was truly life changing, and I can not wait to see where we travel to next.

6. What is your favorite book? I love to read in my free time, and I especially love autobiographies of athletes. My favorite autobiography that I have read so far is Forward by Abby Wambach. Her story is inspirational and extremely intriguing at the same time!

7. Tell us one thing interesting about you that most people don’t know. I absolutely love music, and my favorite instrument is the acoustic guitar. I have actually taught myself some of the basics and can play some of the favorite songs. My singing may not be the best, but it is still a great hobby to have.

8. If you couldn’t be a doctor, what would you want to do? If I was unable to be in the medical field, I would most likely get back into basketball. I would most likely try to coach at the high school level. I know the impact that my coaches had on my life, and it would be awesome to be able to be make a difference in other girls lives.

9. What has been your biggest obstacle as a premed and how did you (or are you) overcome it? So far my biggest obstacle as a premed student has been losing motivation and focus for a semester. Last semester, I was going through some personal things, and I found myself losing focus on the goal of being the best student and person I could be. My grades began to slip, I wasn’t setting up shadowing opportunities, and overall I was being lazy. Lucky, I was able to realize what was causing me to act completely not like myself and fix my mindset. I moved out of the toxic environment I was living in, I found ways to keep myself motivated, and I did a mental reset. My grades are back up this summer, and I am feeling more and more myself everyday. I think all of us at some point are going to go through days, weeks, or months that we are struggling to find ways to keep up with the grind that is required to be a premedical student, but it is important to know that you are not alone in those struggles and you will get through them.

10. What do you like most about PreMed STAR? What I love about PreMed Star is that you have the opportunity to connect with so many other people that you would normally not meet, and you have the amazing resource of doctors that have been in our shoes and are willing to give us advice and support throughout our journey. It has helped me immensely in my journey so far.

Imposter Syndrome: Reasons and Remedies (Part 1)

After my last blog, a few of you brought up a very important topic I hadn’t really looked deep into before. I mentioned briefly how starting medical school stirred up anxiety and self-doubt. I questioned if I was smart enough for medical school. I wondered if I could keep up with my classmates. Would there be anyone else who looked like me and understood where I came from? Maybe my acceptance was all one big psychosocial experiment, hidden camera TV show, or colossal mistake.

[voice in my head] Would they all think I’m a fraud?

This my friend is called the IMPOSTER SYNDROME. Researchers Clance and Imes first described this psychological experience in their 1978 paper investigating highly successful female college students and professionals. It has been estimated that 70% of the general population also experiences this imposter phenomenon at some point in their lives. It is extremely common among medical students. Now, I am no expert at this but I would like to share some of my personal thoughts on the matter. As with many other challenges one is attempting to overcome, they must first admit they have a problem and recognize the reasons behind this so the cycle may be broken. Here are a few reasons one may be susceptible to this:

1. Upbringing

Many people who suffer from imposter syndrome were raised as children to always strive for perfection. Nothing you did was ever good enough and was rarely celebrated by those close to you. Failure was not an option and asking for help was looked at as being weak. This type of upbringing tends to lead to either high achieving personalities or the exact opposite. Making all A’s is expected of you and there is nothing overly special about this. As a child, when others outside of your circle complimented your excellence you naturally wondered why and said to yourself, “isn’t everyone supposed to be doing this?” Many of these children will not find it necessary to brag or even mention awards and recognitions because they truly feel as though there was nothing special they did to deserve it.

2. Stereotypes and Biases

This one affects most of us. Imposter syndrome can hit you really hard based on how you look physically, sound, dress, or where you come from. I was one of only two black males in a medical school class of roughly 200 students so it was very easy to stand out. At times I felt as though I was under the spotlight and couldn’t help but question why certain comments and attitudes were directed towards me. I have spoken with many women in medicine who tell me stories of people automatically assuming they are the nurse and continue to incorrectly refer to them as anything but the doctor despite their white coat. One may have a thick accent stemming from a tiny small town in Podunk, Mississippi and their intelligence may be questioned simply after hearing them speak. I learned in medical school to never judge a book by the cover but this is the world we live in. Attempting to fit into a new environment where you stand out can make one feel inadequate. If people assume a role upon you, it can cause you to become self-conscious and ultimately begin entertaining their thoughts.

3. Environment

A high critiquing audience can lead one to lose confidence. Many musicians, artists, models, and premed students are constantly being judged and tested. This can lead them to a constant feeling of being under a microscope or incite a competitive spirit. Entering a very competitive field such as medical school will easily make one begin sizing themselves up with others. Inability to appreciate that we are all flawed human beings may lead one to feel inadequate. As a medical student, outsiders will automatically assume you know things or possess certain talents which you may not at that point. I remember always telling my friends not to follow my introduction with, “he’s a medical student” because automatically eyes lit up and I was hit with a barrage of questions as though I was being tested. Maybe I was worried that if I was to miserably fail any of their pop quiz then their high expectations of me would be shattered and I would be labeled an imposter.

Well, these are a few reasons why I believe many are susceptible to the imposter syndrome. It certainly hit me hard when starting medical school and still comes back to haunt me every once in a while. I will share a few tips on how I combat this next blog. Do you have the imposter syndrome or worry you may deal with it someday? Consider taking this quiz below. I’d love to hear you did and your thoughts.

1. I have often succeeded on a test or task even though I was afraid that I would not do well before I undertook the task.