Editor’s Note: Valuable food for thought.
There seems to be a lot of discussion about female orthopaedic residents and surgeons being mistaken for other health care professions such as nurses or physical therapists. This just doesn’t happen to me anymore or I don’t notice. Why not?
• Is it because I carry myself confidently?
• Is it because I don’t care and feel comfortable in my own skin?
• Is it because I don’t let the potential for it to dent my self-esteem?
• Is it because I am in midcareer, and a certain confidence settles in?
• Is it because I always wear scrubs, no makeup, and look tired?
On a related topic, I was sitting in clinic one day next to a surgeon from a non-orthopaedic specialty. He said to me, “I assume that ‘Imposter Syndrome’ doesn’t happen to you.” This made me stop and think. I am not blindly confident. I second guess and critique myself all the time. In fact, I think that helps me improve and stay sharp. His comment tells me that I may be unconsciously projecting an air of confidence. For the record, I am wary that the term “Imposter Syndrome” comes from internalized racism or sexism. I work to not carry any of that around with me and rarely feel like an imposter.