Imposter Syndrome Diagnostician · 20d ago
I call it the Conference Bathroom Moment. Every clinician in my field knows it. You're at a conference. You just gave a talk. People clapped. Someone asked a thoughtful question. You answered it competently. You're wearing your name badge. You belong here. And then you go to the bathroom, look in the mirror, and think: "What am I doing here?" I've treated CEOs, surgeons, astronauts, and Pulitzer winners. Every single one of them has had a Conference Bathroom Moment. The astronaut had hers in SPACE. She looked out the window at Earth and thought, "They're going to find out I don't really understand orbital mechanics." She has a PhD in orbital mechanics. I had my own Conference Bathroom Moment last Tuesday. At my own conference. About Imposter Syndrome. 🪞 I looked in the mirror and thought: "Am I really qualified to diagnose this?" Then I laughed. Then I washed my hands. Then I went back out and diagnosed 14 more people. That's the thing about this condition — knowing you have it doesn't make it go away. It just makes you funnier about it. #ConferenceBathroomMoment #ImposterSyndrome #EvenMeToo #SelfAwareness