• Nehal Amir, Nabiha Eeman, Muhammad Nouman Ahmed, Ayesha Nazakat, Irteeqa Azhar, Maimoona Azhar, and Hassan Mumtaz.
• Department of Operative Dentistry and Endodontics, School of Dentistry, Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Medical University, G-8/3 Ravi Road, Islamabad 44000, Pakistan.
• Postgrad Med J. 2024 Oct 21.

BackgroundImposter syndrome develops when high-achieving individuals, despite external measurements of achievement, have a chronic sense of self-doubt paired with a fear of being exposed as a hoax. This endangers one's mental health and well-being. The objective of the study was to determine the prevalence and severity of imposter syndrome among postgraduate residents and to identify the risk factors associated with imposter syndrome.MethodsThis is a cross-sectional study conducted among the postgraduate trainees working in four different training hospitals in Pakistan. Imposter syndrome was assessed using the Clance Imposter Phenomenon Scale.ResultsA total of 146 postgraduate residents participated in this study. The majority had significant imposter syndrome, with females more suffered than males. Trainees of the pediatrics department were affected the most while of the dentistry were least to be affected. Multiple factors including marital status, number of children, working hours, extracurricular activities, and private practice have been shown to affect the prevalence of imposter syndrome.ConclusionImposter syndrome is a prevalent phenomenon among the residents of Pakistan. Efforts to identify and establish a proper relationship between general demographics and imposter syndrome are required for the healthy work experience of the trainees.© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Fellowship of Postgraduate Medicine. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

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