The Manchester hospital psychiatrist who quit NHS to live out childhood dream

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

A Manchester hospital psychiatrist who grew disillusioned with his job quit to pursue a childhood dream. With Manchester's Royal Northern College of Music turning 50 this year, the M.E.N.

spoke to one of its alumni whose own career path didn't always stick to the script. Aged 10-years old, Jeremy Sassoon was the music school's youngest student when it opened in June 1973; he even presented HRH the Duchess of Kent with a bouquet at its official opening.

In life's funny way of coming back on itself full-circle, Jeremy, 58, is now back at the RNCM teaching a masterclass on the pop music course.

But his career took an unexpected turn at the age of 18 when, like a true musician, he "rebelled". Read More: 'Terrorised' Manchester shopping centre was commercial disaster patrolled by 'machine gun-toting teen' Read More: The lost Manchester nightclub where the walls 'dripped with sweat' and undiscovered music stars pulled pints "They all expected me to go on and have a career in music but I went on and did medicine," said Jeremy. "I became a doctor, ended up becoming a hospital psychiatrist in Manchester, literally a few hundred yards down the road from the college." After going off to study medicine in London, he had worked as a doctor for a time in Australia before returning to his home city to practice psychiatry at Withington Hospital and Manchester Royal Infirmary.