Characterizing imposter syndrome among oncologists on social media.

11018 Background: Imposter syndrome (IS) is defined as an inability to believe that one’s success is deserved. It is commonly encountered by physicians, with cited statistics ranging from 22% to 98%, is associated with negative mental health impacts and can be harmful to one’s wellbeing. Given increasing SM use in hematology/oncology (H/O), we aimed to evaluate the effect of SM on IS among oncology trainees and oncologists. Methods: An anonymous online survey was distributed to oncology trainees and oncologists through SM platforms (Twitter, Facebook (FB), Instagram (IG)) and e-mail. Questions included demographics, current SM use, a novel scale for IS on SM (Table), Young Imposter Syndrome (YIS) Scale (a validated IS instrument) & assessment of mental health impacts of SM. Results: Out of 195 respondents, 103 answered all questions; median age 40y (27-65), 81% female. 21% were trainees and 36%, 30%, and 12% were early, mid and late-career faculty, respectively. Specialties included: adult H/O (72%), gynecologic oncology (11.3%), radiation oncology (10.5%), surgical oncology (4.1%), and pediatric H/O (1.5%). Twitter was the most commonly used SM platform (68%) followed by FB (36%) & IG (20%). 26% utilized professional SM 0-1 times/week while 28% did so daily. 97/157 (62%) noted positive mental health impacts from SM. 41% felt anxious, lonely or depressed due to SM. 19.7% have experienced SM harassment or cyberbullying. More than 50% of respondents met criteria on the YIS and IS scale; indeed, the YIS and IS on SM Scales were significantly correlated with each other (r = 0.57, p < 0.001, N = 103). The presence of IS on SM was associated with gender but not race/ethnicity or career stage. 59% of females versus 28% of males met criteria for IS (p = 0.02). The presence of IS on SM was significantly associated with self-perceived IS in professional settings (p < 0.001), but not in personal settings (p = 0.21). Conclusions: Many oncology professionals experienced IS while interacting on SM, but also note a positive mental health impact with SM use. The presence of IS on SM correlated with results on the YIS Scale, suggesting a novel assessment method, but further validation is needed. Future efforts to combat IS on SM while enhancing positive aspects of medical SM are warranted. [Table: see text]