A Comparative Cross-Sectional Study on the Prevalence of Impostor Phenomenon in Medical and Non-Medical Students of Lahore City, Pakistan

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5195/ijms.2025.2470

Keywords:

Mental health, Impostor Phenomenon/Syndrome, medical students, non-medical students, Prevalence, Gender Differences

Abstract

Background: The Impostor Phenomenon (IP) is a psychological pattern characterized by feelings of inadequacy and self-doubt despite evident competence. This study aims to compare the prevalence of Impostor Phenomenon among medical and non-medical students in Lahore, Pakistan and to compare the distribution between genders.

Methods: A cross-sectional study involving a total of 242 medical and non-medical students was conducted using the validated Clance Impostor Phenomenon (CIP) scale that ranges between 20 to 100 and includes scores categorised as ≤40 (mild), 41-60 (Moderate), 61-80 (Frequent), ≥81 (Severe). The data was collected between February 2023 to April 2023. It was analyzed using descriptive statistics and unpaired t-tests as well as multivariate linear regression model in SPSS version-26.

Results: IP was prevalent among both medical and non-medical students, with significantly higher scores among non-medical students (mean CIP score: of 67.08 ±13.704) compared to medical students (mean CIP score: 58.36 ±11.413. It was noted that although IP is prevalent in both genders, it is much more significant in females as females exhibited higher IP scores than males (p-value <0.05). The multivariate linear regression model showed significant dependency of the total CIP scores on the variables, university and gender, with the p-value being less than 0.05.

Conclusion: In conclusion, this study underscores the high prevalence of IP among medical and non-medical students and highlights the need for targeted interventions. It also explores the effect of both genders on having feelings of impostor-ism.

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The bar graph displays the distribution of a certain indicator (possibly levels of knowledge, attitude, or practice) across four score ranges (≤ 40, 40–60, 61–80, and ≥ 80), comparing two institutions: CMH LMC and LUMS. At CMH LMC, most participants fall within the 40–60 and 61–80 ranges, with similar percentages between them. At LUMS, the highest proportion is in the 61–80 range, followed by 40–60, with lower percentages at the extremes. The bars include error lines, likely representing standard deviations or confidence intervals, indicating variability in the data.

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2025-03-03

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Raashed , L., Liaqat, A., Nasir, M., Tariq , M., & Omer , Z. (2025). A Comparative Cross-Sectional Study on the Prevalence of Impostor Phenomenon in Medical and Non-Medical Students of Lahore City, Pakistan. International Journal of Medical Students, 13(2), 162–168. https://doi.org/10.5195/ijms.2025.2470

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Vol. 13 No. 2 (2025)

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