The Texas Pharmacy Association’s 2019 Women in Pharmacy conference taught me many valuable lessons about self-appreciation. I found myself realizing there are barriers women face in the real world that I may face as a soon-to-be pharmacy school graduate. While hearing that there are disparities between men and women was nothing new, learning that women as a whole also hinder themselves was different.

It was a revelation to hear that there is gender discrimination not only in the workforce but also internally in women, through self-doubt and fraudulence. I had never realized that other women had similar experiences, let alone that the phenomenon had a name: imposter syndrome.

Diane Ginsburg, a clinical professor and dean at The University of Texas at Austin College of Pharmacy (and also a great mentor to TPA CEO Debbie Garza), defined imposter syndrome as the persistent inability to believe that one’s success is deserved or that it has been legitimately achieved as a result of one’s own efforts or skills.

Women who suffer from this phenomenon think their success is based on luck or timing, not their own experiences, skills, or other qualities. Those who typically experience this feeling are those with high level positions, creative people, and students, to name a few.

Hearing this, I felt that someone was reading my mind. As a student in my final year of pharmacy school who subscribed to self-doubt and consented to defeat over the years, it is hard to accept that I’m not here based on my good luck but because of my own skills and merits. There is relief in the discovery that there is a name for my insecurity and that I am not alone. Even successful women have cast a cloud over their shining achievements, making it hard to accept the praise they deserve.

The conference was both motivational and inspirational. Being in a room full of women who not only want to better themselves but also support and uplift the women around them was enlightening. Traditionally, the idea has been for women to adjust to the male-dominated workforce, but I believe our goal should be for society to begin to accept and reveal that the capabilities of women are the same as anyone else’s.

I sat at my conference table with a quote staring at me: “Fix another queen’s crown without telling the world it was crooked.” In a room full of other women in pharmacy, it was a reminder that this event wasn’t about men versus women in the workforce. It was about recognizing that as a woman, you can and you should.

Being able to have open conversations about our challenges, we can make more people aware that we all face the same barriers within ourselves. Visualizing success, owning your accomplishments and acknowledging that you deserve to be here are a few of many great lessons I learned.

As I venture into the working world, being able to preemptively address thoughts of hesitancy in advancement due to fear of being under-qualified or feeling fraudulent, I can open doors to more opportunities. By preventing your inner narrative from telling you that you can’t, you’ll be surprised how much you can do.

Le completed a six-week rotation with the Texas Pharmacy Association during September and October of 2019.