Have you ever experienced feelings of self-doubt or feared being exposed as incompetent? These are common reactions associated with imposter syndrome (IS). The high incidence of IS in veterinary professionals,1 reported in a paper summarised on page 271 of this issue of Vet Record , is not surprising. Vets are high achieving individuals, and, as such, are likely to possess traits associated with IS. Given the recent attention dedicated to the mental health of vets, as well as the knowledge that IS is correlated with poor mental health, perfectionism, neuroticism, depression, anxiety and burnout, an investigation of the impact of IS on vets is warranted. In an attempt to illustrate the significance of IS, particularly in connection with mental health, it is helpful to explore a scenario commonly experienced by recent graduates in the early ‘make or break’ years of veterinary practice – that is, the experience of an adverse event (AE). Examples of such AEs include the unexpected death of a patient or a patient developing life-threatening complications during a routine procedure.2 A recent paper by Sara White describes vets’ emotional reactions following an AE in the context of routine neuter surgery and the coping strategies they employed.3 Vets’ initial reactions in this scenario include fear, nausea and a desire to run away, followed by difficulty thinking clearly and trouble sleeping. They also experienced feelings of self-doubt, a lack of confidence and intense emotional responses associated with guilt and shame. For individuals experiencing impostor tendencies, their worst fear – the fear of being exposed as incompetent – may be realised following an AE. Their reactions are likely to be amplified and intensified, compounding pre-existing feelings of inadequacy. Due to perfectionist traits linked to IS,4 they are also likely to be harsher critics of themselves when …