Stratégies d’adaptation développées et utilisées par les étudiants de 3e cycle en médecine générale par rapport au phénomène de l’imposteur
(2026) Exercer — Vol. 37, n° 222, p. 183-185 (2026)
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- (en) [Coping strategies developed and used by general medicine interns in relation to the imposter phenomenon] CONTEXT: The context of general practice and the uncertainty inherent in its practice make it a breeding ground for the imposter phenomenon (IP), especially at the beginning of clinical practice. The avenues proposed by the literature for the management of IP do not or very little consider the strategies sponta-neously developed by those who identify with it. OBJECTIVES: Collection on the spontaneous adaptation strategies developed by interns in general practice in the face of their IP experience. METHOD: Qualitative method having recruited interns in general practice from the Brussels region, iden-tifying with the IP, by semi-directed interviews. A phenomenological approach was used to explore the par-ticipants' lived experiences. The interviews were transcribed verbatim, anonymized, and analyzed indepen-dently by two researchers. The stabilization of the transcripts confirmed the redundancy of the data. The coping strategies described by the participants were then compared to defense mechanisms identified in the literature. RESULTS: 11 interns in GP were interviewed. The transition between studies and professional practice is a key moment in the awareness of IP. The testimonies converge on the initial difficulty of entering the posture of the doctor. Participants' priorities are to regain their self-confidence and minimize the impact of feelings of incompetence, through individual strategies (acquisition of knowledge and experience, development of skills, acceptance of limits, empowerment, anticipation, humor, compensation, denial, avoidance) or collec-tive strategies (social support, peer exchanges, external validation, caring environment, attention to well-being). External support is found among colleagues and their informal circle. Academic institutions are less solicited, often by fear of judgment. The most effective strategies seem to be those that combine personal work on oneself and external support. It is important to emphasize that some strategies can have a reinfor-cing effect on PI. CONCLUSION: Our results highlight the way in which general medicine interns discover PI, and the mature adaptation strategies spontaneously developed and tested in practice. This research advocates for a per-sonalized and multiple approach to the phenomenon, involving both formative, relational, social and psy-chological aspects.
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Tabich, H., Lamjahdi, S., & Feron, J.-M. (2026). Stratégies d’adaptation développées et utilisées par les étudiants de 3e cycle en médecine générale par rapport au phénomène de l’imposteur. Exercer, 37(222), 183-185. https://doi.org/10.56746/exercer.2026.222.183 (Original work published 2026)