Shared Experiences | Shared Resources | Shared Success

“I Got an A on the Test—It Was an Easy Exam”

(“I Got an A on the Test—My Studying Paid Off”
(Managing Imposter Syndrome)

Jane Binger, EdD

Co-Founder, DeepTok
Senior Advisor, COEDME, Stanford Medical School
Co-Founder, VIP Mock Interview Program, UC Merced

https://images.app.goo.gl/D8bFAZVVN5d8iynu5
David Whittaker @ rundavidrun COUN 103 Take Charge of Your Learning
NVC MESA & STEM /Kaiser Med Scholars Program
Napa Valley College
November 5, 2020
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DR. JANE BINGER

I love coaching and teaching college students and healthcare professionals to reach their career and leadership dreams.

My Mother graduated from UC Berkeley, then she went to Santa Rosa Junior College for her pre-med courses and medical school at
University of California San Francisco (UCSF). My Father, who left home at 11 and worked for families for his room and board because his
family was too poor to keep four children, went to community college then dental school. I spent summer vacations in Lodi and
Healdsburg--swimming in the irrigation canals and running through the vineyards with my cousins. Sorting mail in my mother’s medical
practice when I was 8 was my first job. By the time I was 9, my sister and I were cooking, cleaning, and doing the wash for a family of five
along with going to school. When my Father had a stroke that left him totally disabled, all of our family’s income stopped. Without
incredible mentors and scholarships, I wouldn’t have graduated with my BS and my Doctorate in Education from Stanford University, and my MS from UCSF.

I am an educator, coach, and program leader. I love coaching students in college and graduate school and healthcare professionals, particularly first-generation
individuals and groups, to interview well, succeed in their education, and be effective leaders in healthcare. I have personally coached more than 600 college and
graduate students, professionals, and senior managers. My teams and I have developed leadership education for over 5,000 physician and allied health leader,
executive, board, and student learners.

A few of my career highlights are serving as

-Co-Founder and an educator and coach at DeepTok, a non-profit providing online skills webinars, mentoring, and 1:1 coaching for college students.
-Senior Adviser and co-developer with the Assistant Director, Mark Gutierrez, of the leadership seminar series for medical students in the
Center of Excellence in Diversity in Medical Education at Stanford Medical School.
-Co-founder of the VIP Mock Interview Program and Coach, GradSlam, UC Merced.
-Executive Board Member, California Medicine Scholar Coalition.
-Member, Executive Board 2018 Annual Conference Planning Committee, National Hispanic Medical Association.
-Senior Research Officer, Graduate Medical Education, Research & Philanthropy, Sutter Health.
-Executive Director, Physician Leadership Development, Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford (2003-2012)

I live in the Central Valley of California with my husband, a vascular and interventional radiologist.
On week-ends, you will find me gardening, and fishing in the high Sierras, or hanging out with my family.

Join me on LinkedIn or email me: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janebingeredd jbingeredd@gmail.com

 Shared Experiences | Shared Resources | Shared Success Page 3

1. No question is stupid.
2. Resources are all around us—maybe sitting right next to you.
3. Misery is optional. If you can’t hear or see, please speak up.
4. We retain what we learn better if we “see, hear, and do” rather than just sit and listen.
Expect questions.
Share at least one thing you learned in this Workshop today with another person as soon as possible.

Outline

-Introduction
-Ground Rules
-Case Study: Maria
-A Key Facts & Strategies
-A Care Plan for Maria
-Conclusion
-Resources
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A Case Study: Maria

Maria is a second-year college student. She has a 3.8 GPA in Math, Chemistry, Biology, Physics, and English. She works part time, has
volunteered at a community clinic where she has received Volunteer of the Year Award for two years in a row, and is very active in two
clubs. She is the single Mom of Max, who is four years old. Despite these achievements, Maria often feels uncomfortable when her
instructors and mentor praise her for the scholarships and awards she has received. She is afraid she won’t be able to live up to their
expectations in the future. At times, she feels that much of her success is due to luck. Secretly, she worries that others will find out she
isn’t very bright. Recently, her Aunt asked her if she needed money to get a dress to wear to an award ceremony she was asked to
attend to get an award. She said “no” because she figured that the award committee would realize they had picked the wrong person
right before the event. She has a great study group--she doesn't know what she would do without them. They are all tons brighter than
she is. She gets better grades on tests than they do sometimes. But, she realizes some of the tests have been easier versions than the
ones the others have taken. Secretly, Maria thinks she is just luckier than the other students in the group.
Shared Experiences | Shared Resources | Shared Success Page 5

PERSON A: With Fewer Imposter Experiences PERSON B: With Fewer Imposter Experiences
& Stronger Belief in Self Doing a Task and Meeting a Goal & Less Self Belief in Doing a Task and Meeting a Goal
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A SNAPSHOT
Imposter Syndrome
What Feeling nervous because you think you’re not as bright and high-
achieving as other people around you think you are. Feeling
luck not hard work accounts for your successes. Feeling one day
people are going to realize you’re a fake or imposter. The cause
of imposter syndrome is not clearly understood. People from
grammar school children to professionals at the top of their
game feel like an imposter at times, e.g. Robert Pattinson,
Emma Watson, Penelope Cruz, Lady Gaga, Tom Hanks.
Key Note A feeling or set of feelings
Key Thinkers Pauline Rose Clance, PhD
Examples “I got an A on the test.—it was an easy exam” versus “I got an A
on the test—my studying paid off.” (Explains did well because of
external, not internal factors.)
(After hearing praise…)
“I hate being praised—I am always afraid I can’t live up to the
group’s expectations of how I will do next time” versus “Thanks
so much”
“I am so glad I didn’t take the job in the lab that my chemistry
professor offered me. He would have found out I don’t know
much really quickly” versus “I’ll get some good experience and
feedback about what I know and need to learn”
(Believing You Can Do A Task & Reach Goal (Self-Efficacy)
Believing you have what it takes to do a task and achieve
a goal. It speaks to whether you feel confident in what
you do, affects what you are motivated to do, whether
you manage what you do and say, and how you interact
socially in your environment.
A belief
Albert Bandura, PhD
With higher self-efficacy:
Students are more likely to challenge themselves to do
new and hard tasks. Try harder. Don’t blame factors
outside of themselves so often for doing poorly or failing a
task. Instead, see what they could have done differently
to have done a task better more often.
-Recovers more quickly from bumps in the road.
-More likely to meet goals.
Students with lower self-efficacy more often:
-Don’t think they can be successful.
-May view challenges as threats. Avoid them.
-Have lower aspirations, may have lower performance,
experiencing negative feedback cycle (lower aspirations,
lower performance, even lower aspirations).
 Imposter Syndrome
Changeable? Yes
Why Having moderate to frequent imposter experiences can reduce
Important to your joy in situations, can stop you from working to reach a
Address dream, can be an emotional burden, and can give peers cues that
lead them to dislike you
A Few -Find a person or group who you can talk with about your
Strategies & feelings safely.
Tips
-Try sharing an accomplishment with some you trust. Feel what
this is like. See what the other person does.
-When someone compliments you, say “Thanks a lot.” Smile.
Then, be quiet.
-Explore low-risk situations where you can act more sure about
something that you might usually feel unsure about. Then,
act—try doing or saying something in the situation.
-Practice thinking of a problem as an opportunity to get a new
insight and grow a skill.
-Periodically, take a look at the “big picture” of your life. What
is going well, what isn’t going well. Tap your resources to
address what isn’t going well but is important to you.
-Focus on meeting your goals, not those of the person you are
talking with.
-Tell yourself you can make a mistake. Believe it.
And, practice saying “no.”
-Share your sense of humor.
(Believing You Can Do A Task & Reach Goal (Self-Efficacy)
Yes
Developing your belief in what you can do and goals you
can meet affects what you do. That is, believing you have
what it takes to do a task and meet a goal significantly
affects what you decide to do, how you manage yourself,
and how you interact with others.
To grow your beliefs in what you can do and goals you
can meet, consider these strategies and tips:
-Take on tasks and challenges. Start with little one so
you can do it well. Now, you have a success. (Mastery)
-Watch someone do something you want to do. This can
help you see that you can do this, too. (Vicarious )
-Find someone who supports your education to give you
honest feedback on what you do and to praise you on
good work. This encourages you to continue a new task,
and gives you tips on how to do x better. Also, you will
pick up that the person believes in you. (Verbal)
-Your attitude and good mood can strengthen your belief
that you can do a task. Feeling nervous and stressed can
undermine this belief. (Emotional)
-Imagine you doing a task well and succeeding at it.
(Imaginal)
 Shared Experiences | Shared Resources | Shared Success Page 8

A Care Plan for Maria

Maria is a second-year college student. She has a 3.8 GPA in Math, Chemistry, Biology, Physics, and English. She works part time, has
volunteered at a community clinic where she has received Volunteer of the Year Award for two years in a row, and is very active in two
clubs. She is the single Mom of Max, who is four years old. Despite these achievements, Maria often feels uncomfortable when her
instructors and mentor praise her for the scholarships and awards she has received. She is afraid she won’t be able to live up to their
expectations in the future. At times, she feels that much of her success is due to luck. Secretly, she worries that others will find out she
isn’t very bright. Recently, her Aunt asked her if she needed money to get a dress to wear to an award ceremony she was asked to
attend to get an award. She said “no” because she figured that the award committee would realize they had picked the wrong person
right before the event. She has a great study group--she doesn't know what she would do without them. They are all tons brighter than
she is. She gets better grades on tests than they do sometimes. But, she realizes some of the tests have been easier versions than the
ones the others have taken. Secretly, Maria thinks she is just luckier than the other students in the group.

If Maria Were Your Close Peer or a Friend, What Tips & Support Would You Like to Give Her?
 Shared Experiences | Shared Resources | Shared Success Page 9

Conclusion

Having moderate to intense imposter experiences--feelings that your personal achievements are caused by luck, others, not your hard
work—is common among college students. And, believing you can do a task and reach a goal is very important in what tasks and goals
you actually complete. This belief affects how you interact with people in your environment, as well. The great news is that you can
change how you feel and change what you believe about yourself. Strategies and tips exist to help you with this. And, using these tips
can help you feel much more like an insider who has earned a seat at the table. Here, the table is your classroom, a study group, a club,
an undergraduate research experience, a group you lead, an award or scholarship. If you want to address some of these feelings and
beliefs, a good place to start is to take one, tiny step. Perhaps, start to observe when you are feeling like an imposter. Tap the resources
at the MESA/STEM Center, at Napa Valley College, at DeepTok, and in print and media domains to help you on this journey. One small
step….

A Few Resources
Bravata, D.M., Watts, S.A., Keefer, A.L. et al. Prevalence, Predictors, and Treatment of Impostor Syndrome: a Systematic Review. J GEN
INTERN MED 35, 1252–1275 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-019-05364-1
http://www.paulineroseclance.com/pdf/IPTestandscoring.pdf
http://www.paulineroseclance.com/impostor_phenomenon.html
https://vptl.stanford.edu/resilience-project/video/coursera-co-founder-daphne-koller-imposter-syndrome
https://www.mindful.org/how-to-overcome-impostor-syndrome/
http://www.asbmb.org/asbmbtoday/201512/MinorityAffairs/
https://www.instyle.com/celebrity/stars-imposter-syndrome
https://www.entrepreneur.com/slideshow/304273#1
https://www.google.com/search?q=self-efficacy+definition&oq=self-
effic+&aqs=chrome.1.69i57j0j69i60j0l3.8640j0j7&sourceid=chrome&{google:instantExtendedEnabledParameter}ie=UTF-8
https://www.google.com/search?q=self-efficacy+definition&oq=self-
effic+&aqs=chrome.1.69i57j0j69i60j0l3.8640j0j7&sourceid=chrome&{google:instantExtendedEnabledParameter}ie=UTF-8

©DeepTok and Jane Binger, EdD, 2020. Do not reprint and distribute this document via any means without the prior permission of DeepTok.