Imposter

The “Imposter” comic the real-life experience of shame experienced by a medical student at a Signaporean medical school to life. Through a story that follows four different fictionalised characters, the comic creatively presents unique experiences of shame and reflects Singapore’s diverse culture. With its rich imagery and language, “Imposter” gives readers from around the world unique insights into the culture of a Singaporean medical school. As shame is an often unspoken and taboo experience for healthcare providers, this comic is an important contribution to the medical humanities literature. The limited evidence available makes clear that shame is a common experience in medical training. Among both learners and professionals in healthcare, shame can lead to ‘defensive medicine’ and moral injury; can impede learning, erode trust and empathy; can cause individuals to leave the profession; can cause under-reporting of errors, and can contribute to burnout and stress. By encouraging open dialogue and reflection on shame experiences, thus normalising and overcoming the stigma attached to these experiences, we can simultaneously improve healthcare workers’ experiences and patient safety. “Imposter” contributes to this important endeavour of normalising emotions in healthcare, and helping shift the stigma and taboo around the emotion of shame.