How to Avoid Burnout in 73 Minutes: A Minimally Invasive Musical Procedure

Everybody in health care talks about medical burnout, but nobody writes an autobiographical musical about it. Well, almost nobody.

Dr. Stuart Bloom, an oncologist on the staff of the University of Minnesota Medical School, created and performs in “How to Avoid Burnout in 73 Minutes: A Minimally Invasive Musical Procedure.” It’s a one-act play with 12 original songs and multimedia projections.

Bloom accompanies himself on piano. When not performing one of his songs, he engages in dialogue with another actor who portrays his inner voice. The play examines a physician’s struggle to find hope and humanity in what can seem a hopeless, inhumane endeavor.

The twists and turns of Bloom’s career path have left him uniquely prepared for his role. He originally set out to become a “rich and famous actor,” as he relates in the play, but enjoyed only modest success. Once he reached his 30s, he decided to pursue a career with greater meaning: oncology. He discovered that his theater background was a valuable asset in his medical practice.

Bloom’s reputation as “a nice and fun oncologist,” he explains, made him popular with patients – even those who knew they had little time left to live. But the stress of giving bad news to patients and families, while being tormented by insurance companies and medical bureaucrats, has left him vulnerable to a soul-crushing emotional burden.

That may not seem to be the stuff of musical comedy, but the show has enjoyed remarkable success. “Burnout” has played sold-out runs at Open Eye Theatre in Minneapolis. Now Bloom and his colleagues are taking the play to other venues to make it more easily accessible to medical students and health-care providers.

Peter Moore, a noted theater artist in the Twin Cities, directs the show. Eric Ringham, a veteran voice actor and journalist, plays the inner voice. The show’s technical director is Alex Clark.