"Imposter" | The Shame Space | Advancing Awareness of Shame in Medicine through Storytelling & Research

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Imposter

STORYTELLER

Anonymous,

Medical Student

ARTIST

Alan Bay - "SmallGuyDoodle"

THIS ART IS INTERACTIVE!

Hover over these icons to view reflective questions for contemplation & discussion.

QUESTION
FOUR

Fearing and/or perceiving judgment is a common component of a shame reaction. Many medical learners and professionals live in fear of judgment. Why is this fear so present and potent?

QUESTION
ONE

Learning can often feel like a performance. The experience Sal is describing sounds more like a rehearsal for a play than preparing for a learning experience.

What role does performance play in your learning? Is performance a necessary part of medical learning? Why or why not?

QUESTION
THREE

This kind of teaching style is unfortunately common in medical education, but is it necessary? Is there a value to being taught in this way? Is there a cost? What would be a better approach in this situation?

QUESTION
TWO

Have you ever felt like this while presenting a patient (or doing any other type of learning activity)? Is this scenario indicative of Sal's perception? Of reality? Of both?

Real or perceived, what are the implications of learning in a situation like this?

QUESTION
FIVE

Comparisons to others are common as well and can precipitate or amplify shame feelings. Do you compare yourself to others? Is there value in doing so? Is there a cost?

QUESTION
SIX

Is this true? If so, where is the line between harmless "nagging" and harmful mistreatment?

QUESTION
SEVEN

This part of the story depicts a cycle. A learner who was mistreated himself ascends to a position of supervision and greater power and harshly treats those below him.

Why do such cycles exist? Can they be broken? How? What specifically can you do to break them?

QUESTION
EIGHT

Unintentionally shaming another person can (and likely will) happen to you during your medical career. What will you do when it happens? How will you treat yourself? How will you ensure that you grow from the experience?

QUESTION
NINE

Have you experienced thoughts or feelings of shame related to who you are--or want to be--outside of medicine? How have aspects of who you are (e.g., your gender identity, sexual orientation, race/ethnicity, parental status) influenced your experiences of shame in your medical training/career?

QUESTION
TEN

What do you think about the notion that we are all "one big team" in healthcare? What are specific actions you can take to enhance the teams around you? How can you utilize teamwork to advance resilience to shame in your environment?

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Funding and support for “Imposter" provided by:

Wellcome Centre for Cultures and Environments of Health

Duke—Exeter Collaboration Fund

Duke Department of Family Medicine & Community Health

QUESTION FOUR

Fearing and/or perceiving judgment is a common component of a shame reaction. Many medical learners and professionals live in fear of judgment. Why is this fear so present and potent?

QUESTION ONE

Learning can often feel like a performance. The experience Sal is describing sounds more like a rehearsal for a play than preparing for a learning experience. What role does performance play in your learning? Is performance a necessary part of medical learning? Why or why not?

QUESTION THREE

This kind of teaching style is unfortunately common in medical education, but is it necessary? Is there a value to being taught in this way? Is there a cost? What would be a better approach in this situation?

QUESTION TWO

Have you ever felt like this while presenting a patient (or doing any other type of learning activity)? Is this scenario indicative of Sal's perception? Of reality? Of both? Real or perceived, what are the implications of learning in a situation like this?

QUESTION FIVE