WIC Pt 3: Overcoming Barriers to Career Fulfillment: Managing Imposter Syndrome & Microaggressions -ondemand-Career Fulfillment

Video Transcription

Video Summary

This AASLD Women’s Initiative webinar, “Overcoming Barriers to Career Fulfillment: Managing Imposter Syndrome and Microaggressions,” featured Drs. Dawn Sears, Elizabeth Verna, and Michelle Kim.<br /><br />Dr. Sears reframed imposter syndrome as often a rational response to constant scrutiny and bias in medicine. She described the “imposter cycle” (new task → alarm → procrastination/over-prep → doing the task → relief → discounting success → self-doubt) and suggested it may reflect “prove-it-again” pressures on women. Signs include chronic over-preparing, perfectionism, hyperfunctioning, and treating daily work like an audition—leading to exhaustion. Strategies included speaking to yourself as you would to a trusted colleague, reviewing your CV for objective evidence, using coaching questions (“Is it true? Are you sure? What if the opposite is true? So what?”), and building a “life board of directors” for honest feedback and support.<br /><br />On microaggressions, Sears offered tools to preserve peace: externally “ABC” (choose who gets access to your mind, examine whether you believe it, respond with curiosity/conversation like “What did you mean?”), and internally “DEFG” (decide how much power/energy it gets, label feelings, and use gratitude as data about the speaker).<br /><br />Dr. Verna shared that imposter feelings peak during growth moments (new roles, public work like grants/talks). She emphasized communication with peers/mentors to normalize the experience and developing insight to prevent rumination and burnout.<br /><br />Dr. Kim discussed how microaggressions can be hard to recognize, vary by context and power dynamics, and require reframing, clarifying intent, and sometimes proactive boundary-setting. The panel noted microaggressions can accumulate and fuel imposter syndrome, making awareness and communication essential. The webinar closed by highlighting AASLD’s Women’s Leadership Development Program.

Keywords

AASLD Women’s Initiative webinar

career fulfillment in medicine

imposter syndrome

imposter cycle

prove-it-again bias

perfectionism and overpreparing

microaggressions in healthcare

coping strategies and self-talk

mentorship and peer support

women’s leadership development program