E4 Imposter Syndrome: What it is, how it shows up, impacts on the gut-brain axis, and burnout in healthcare

In this episode we cover what imposter syndrome is, how it can show up in the work place and on social media, how it can impact the gut-brain axis, and talk about the impacts it has in healthcare. I share a bit of my own journey in healthcare administration and the imposter syndrome I faced during a time where I was peaking in my "professional" career.    Pauline Rose Clance At-Home Imposter Syndrome Test: https://paulineroseclance.com/pdf/IPTestandscoring.pdf Positive Psychology Imposter Syndrome Aids: https://positivepsychology.com/imposter-syndrome-tests-worksheets/ Dr. Gazelle's Guide to Overcoming Imposter Syndrome: https://gailgazelle.com/imposter/ Online Therapy Platforms: https://www.talkspace.com/ https://www.betterhelp.com/ https://www.7cups.com/ 2025 Aflac Work Forces Report: Home page - https://www.aflac.com/business/resources/aflac-workforces-report/default.aspx Report - https://www.aflac.com/docs/awr/pdf/2025-overview/2025-aflac-awr-executive-summary.pdf All other resources and references: Abramson, A. (2021, June 1). How to overcome impostor phenomenon. Monitor on Psychology, 52(4). https://www.apa.org/monitor/2021/06/cover-impostor-phenomenon   Ascott, Emma. “Imposter Syndrome and Perfectionism Are Killing Your Career.” Allwork.Space, 19 Nov. 2024, allwork.space/2024/11/imposter-syndrome-and-perfectionism-are-killing-your-career/.   Bernard DL, Jones SCT, Volpe VV. Impostor Phenomenon and Psychological Well-Being: The Moderating Roles of John Henryism and School Racial Composition Among Black College Students. J Black Psychol. 2020 Mar;46(2-3):195-227. doi: 10.1177/0095798420924529. Epub 2020 May 26. PMID: 32704193; PMCID: PMC7377315.   Bravata DM, Watts SA, Keefer AL, Madhusudhan DK, Taylor KT, Clark DM, Nelson RS, Cokley KO, Hagg HK. Prevalence, Predictors, and Treatment of Impostor Syndrome: a Systematic Review. J Gen Intern Med. 2020 Apr;35(4):1252-1275. doi: 10.1007/s11606-019-05364-1. Epub 2019 Dec 17. PMID: 31848865; PMCID: PMC7174434.   Breit S, Kupferberg A, Rogler G, Hasler G. Vagus Nerve as Modulator of the Brain-Gut Axis in Psychiatric and Inflammatory Disorders. Front Psychiatry. 2018 Mar 13;9:44. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00044. PMID: 29593576; PMCID: PMC5859128.   Chang YM, El-Zaatari M, Kao JY. Does stress induce bowel dysfunction? Expert Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2014 Aug;8(6):583-5. doi: 10.1586/17474124.2014.911659. Epub 2014 May 31. PMID: 24881644; PMCID: PMC4249634.   Collins, P., & Collins, P. (2023, April 13). Imposter Syndrome: Symptoms, Causes and Ways to Cope – Oaks Integrated Care. Oaks Integrated Care. https://oaksintcare.org/imposter-syndrome/   Dinan TG, Stilling RM, Stanton C, Cryan JF. Collective unconscious: how gut microbes shape human behavior. J Psychiatr Res. 2015 Apr;63:1-9. doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2015.02.021. Epub 2015 Mar 3. PMID: 25772005.   Escalante M.D., Alison. “How to Prevent Impostor Syndrome in Your Child.” Psychology Today, 2019, www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/shouldstorm/201910/how-to-prevent-impostor-syndrome-in-your-child.   Iktidar, Mohammad Azmain MBBS, MPHa,b; Ara, Rifat MBBS, MPHa,c; Roy, Simanta MBBS, MPHa,b,*; Ahmed, Mashrur MBBS, MPHa,b; Chowdhury, Sreshtha MBBS, MPHa,b; Eva, Fahima Nasrin MBBS, MPHa; Trisha, Sadia Mahmud MSC, MPHa; Sharif, Azaz Bin MSc, PhDa. Imposter phenomenon among health professionals and students: A protocol for systematic review and meta analysis. Medicine 102(29):p e34364, July 21, 2023. | DOI: 10.1097/MD.0000000000034364   Lin X, Huang J, Wang S and Zhang K (2024) Bipolar disorder and the gut microbiota: a bibliometric analysis. Front. Neurosci. 18:1290826. doi: 10.3389/fnins.2024.1290826   MacKay M, Yang BH, Dursun SM, Baker GB. The Gut-Brain Axis and the Microbiome in Anxiety Disorders, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. Curr Neuropharmacol. 2024;22(5):866-883. doi: 10.2174/1570159X21666230222092029. PMID: 36815632; PMCID: PMC10845093.   Mu Q, Kirby J, Reilly CM, Luo XM. Leaky Gut As a Danger Signal for Autoimmune Diseases. Front Immunol. 2017 May 23;8:598. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2017.00598. PMID: 28588585; PMCID: PMC5440529.   Perry G, Polito V, Sankaran N, Thompson WF. How Chanting Relates to Cognitive Function, Altered States and Quality of Life. Brain Sci. 2022 Oct 27;12(11):1456. doi: 10.3390/brainsci12111456. PMID: 36358382; PMCID: PMC9688188.   Sakulku, J. (2011). The Impostor Phenomenon. The Journal of Behavioral Science, 6(1), 75–97. https://doi.org/10.14456/ijbs.2011.6