At the age of 18, Emma Hill left school with a fascination of people and animals, and headed off to spend a year in Australia in order to meet both in the wild. On her return, she studied in Zoology, then qualified as a Veterinary Nurse, and gained a Bachelor of Sciences degree with the Open University. Three years spent in the veterinary world taught her that the owners of the animals were what fascinated her the most, and she attended Barts and the London Medical School from 1999 and qualified in 2004. She completed a house job at the Royal London Hospital, then moved to Whipps Cross Hospital for a six month surgical house job, during which time she became pregnant with her first child.
She took up a post on the Vocational Training Scheme for General Practice in Tower Hamlets, as a Senior House Officer in care of the elderly. After nine months of maternity leave, she returned to the Royal London Hospital initially as a flexible trainee, then as a full time doctor.