Overcoming imposter syndrome

I didn’t enter into a career in pharmacy via the most direct route. In fact, it wasn’t really something I had ever considered as a career. In high school, I completed a health care co-op in a biology class and the choices for students to complete placement in the hospital were either nursing or pharmacy. I knew I wasn’t built for a career in nursing, but pharmacy sounded interesting and at least I would be in the hospital (interesting when you consider I prefer community pharmacy!). My experience in that placement was great. I found pharmacy to be interesting, fast-paced, and fun. I still wasn’t quite convinced that I would pursue a career in pharmacy though. Read: Innovator: Breaking barriersDuring my final year in university, I wasn’t sure what direction I wanted to go in. Health care seemed interesting. But education also seemed interesting. I ended up working as a pharmacy assistant for a pharmacist who planted the seed for teaching at a college once technicians became regulated health professionals in Ontario. That idea was very appealing to me. So, it’s what I set my sights on, and I worked towards developing my knowledge, skills, and abilities in pharmacy.When I started teaching in a pharmacy technician program for the first time, I was kind of shocked by it. I questioned whether I should really be the one doing this! Was I ready for this? Did I know enough? I was extremely nervous that entire first year of teaching (even though it was with a great group of students!).At faculty orientation, our dean at the time, discussed something that I had never thought of before: imposter syndrome. Everything she said resonated with me. I definitely had imposter syndrome! I’ve now been teaching for a long time, so I’m pretty sure I’m over that (although I still sometimes can’t believe that I get to do it!), but it creeps up in other ways.Read: Moving forward, giving backI’m still not all that comfortable administering injections and experience a bit of imposter syndrome when I have to do that. Am I really qualified for this?It also pops up every time I sit down to write this blog. Or am asked to author a Tech Talk CE. Or present at a conference. All these tasks are extremely exciting and flattering opportunities, but I definitely wonder if I'm the right person. Do I know enough? Am I ready?Well, as it turns out, yes. Yes, I am. I have undergone injection training and assessment, and successfully administered injections. I have a lot of different experiences in pharmacy (and a lot of years at this point!). I know how to gather, analyze and synthesize information to create learning opportunities. Why not me?And I see imposter syndrome sneaking up on students and graduates, whether they recognize it or not. When I ask students to reflect on their strengths, they can’t think of any. And yet, they all have some knowledge, skill, or ability they’re good at. Or graduates who are licensed and working as pharmacy technicians but don’t feel that they know enough to act as preceptors for pharmacy technician students. But they do. Whether it’s framed as imposter syndrome or a lack of confidence, sometimes you just need to have faith in your own knowledge, skills, and abilities. You need to find that balance of having confidence in these without overestimating them. And let go of that imposter syndrome!

Overcoming imposter syndrome

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Blog Author

Sarah-Lynn Dunlop

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