Disc jockey doctor

Jenny Blythe interviews Radio 1's Mark Hamilton about his life on the airwaves

If you live anywhere in the United Kingdom you might have heard of Dr Mark Hamilton. You may actually have heard him. Every Sunday night on BBC's national Radio 1 station, he cohosts Sunday Surgery, where current chart pop music is interspersed with listeners phoning in for advice.

The show usually has a specific topic each week, ranging from loneliness to sexual diseases, and Mark offers advice to listeners live on the radio. He can also be heard giving the medical slant on any news stories covered on Radio 1. His relative youth means that he is approximately the same age as Radio 1's target audience.

BBC RADIO 1

Disillusioned with the career path

Mark left his native Belfast at 18 to study medicine at Manchester University. "After my house jobs, I did my first accident and emergency job at Manchester Royal Infirmary. I then tried a few other disciplines, including a year of anaesthetics, some geriatric medicine, a bit of anatomy demonstrating and some research back at the university before returning to A and E where I was a locum in the north west region for two years. I became disillusioned with the medical career path and began locuming as a means of exploring other career directions and spending more time on other personal interests. After about a year of doing this, I saw the Radio 1 job advertised in the BMJ. I felt it was for me and applied. I was called to London to do a pilot and after a tense wait of two months the producer phoned me to ask me to join the Radio 1 family."

Remembering back to his medical student days, Mark commented, "I reckon I was quite different in many ways to how I am now. For a start, I had cropped hair and played rugby and hockey. But in other ways I think I am still the same. I worked hard when required and partied the rest of the time."

Did Mark always want to be a doctor? "I had a few options of university courses - including engineering and marine biology, and I chose medicine mainly because it seemed quite prestigious. Also, my best mate had chosen medicine too, although we ended up at different universities. I cannot say that it was a vocation of which I had dreamed of as a child, but I did always find bodily functions intriguing!"

Influenced by John Lennon

There is definitely the opportunity at Radio 1 to meet celebrities in the music world, but Mark's influences are much closer to home. "I'd say that I've had many influences, including my parents, a few teachers, and some close friends. In the celebrity category it would probably be John Lennon, because of what I think he represented in his music and political stance. Mark explained about some of his worst experiences with "patients" on the radio. "The worst calls I get are the ones when I would like to say something concrete and practical to help someone's dilemma when it doesn't seem possible. I usually end up going off on some philosophical rant, and fortunately this seems to work well. Other calls I dislike are when the caller clearly has a problem that needs more expert help and a lot more time than the four or five minutes that we're on air. It seems unfair even to try and get to the real detail as we only have so long. I can really advise people only on where and how to find that proper help."

No regrets as a DJ Asked if he had any regrets, Mark replied (in the words of Frank Sinatra) "Regrets... I've had a few... but then again... too few to mention. Seriously, to regret something suggests that you would do it differently if given the chance again and that might make your current situation different in some way. As I like the way things are at the moment, I wouldn't want anything to have been done differently and therefore-no regrets. But I do want to be remembered as eclectic and a good dad and friend."

Looking at his life as a "DJ doctor," Mark said, "There aren't really any bad aspects of the job at the moment, although the travelling to London is a bit annoying. The best parts of the job are working with Emma B (Mark's cohost on Sunday Surgery) and also there is the prestige of working at Radio 1." After this final comment, Mark's manager perks up, "I think he's after a pay rise."

You can hear Sunday Surgery every Sunday evening on Radio 1 FM 97-99 or via the internet at www.bbc.co.uk/radio1

Jenny Blythe, third year medical student, University of Dundee
Email: blythe_jenny@yahoo.com


studentBMJ 2001;09:217-260 July ISSN 0966-6494