PRACTICAL MASTERCLASS
Overcoming Imposter Thinking
for Gas Girls (Sussex)
Practical Masterclass to reprogramme unhelpful patterns for doctors that hold you back
Why are we still talking about overcoming Imposter Thinking?
Imposter syndrome has become such a familiar phrase its tempting to think the medical professional understands and has dealt with it, but the data tells us otherwise. Imposter thinking shows up for trainees, consultants, trust executives alike
The Research
Imposter Thinking is not a confidence problem you should have outgrown by now. It's a thinking pattern, and the good news is that thinking patterns can be reprogrammed.
Why it affects anaesthetists differently
Different by Design - your specialty was built to make this worse
When it goes well, nobody clocks that you were even in the room.
Hard to feel competent when the goal is the absence of events.
Vigilance keeps patients safe and fuels the voice checking for cracks.
Your team and patients need to trust you, even mid your second-guessing.
If that's you - you're not imagining it, and you won't be the only one.
Imposter thinking is linked to Burnout. 56% prevalence in Anaesthesiology residents with direct association to burnout prevalence (2025) and can affect willingness to proceed in high stakes clinical decisions.
For many, you don’t need the external evidence base – you already have your own.
What we'll cover together
Define
Understand the Context
Diagnose
Tools
Together
What imposter thinking is (and isn't). Not a syndrome, not low self-esteem, not something uniquely wrong with you.
Why doctors, and anaesthetists especially, are more prone to it. The training, the assessment culture, and the nature of the job itself.
The 5 types of imposter thinking, so you can spot which pattern or patterns are actually running the show for you.
Three practical tools to normalise, reframe, keep going regardless which are built for practical use in the moment, not just in theory.
Have a safe space to name it and hear the room nod along. Q&A, and where to go for more support afterwards.
This masterclass is for you if...
This masterclass has been designed for doctors who are tired of constantly questioning
themselves, despite the evidence of their abilty.
You'll get the most from this session if:
