He was born in Hampton, the son of a general practitioner (later to be the father of a general pracitioner himself) and a concert pianist. Educated at Westminster School, he had no ability for music, but found he had a flair for mathematics and intended to study it at Cambridge. Educated at Westminster School, he had no ability for music, but found he had a flair for mathematics and intended to study it at Cambridge. But he did badly on the Cambridge entrance paper, having drunk too much of the Trinity College beer the night before. The admissions tutor rang his father and said he could have an exhibition but not a scholarship, so in pique Doll switched to medicine, which was what his father wanted him to do. He later said the Trinity ale was “the best drink I ever had.”.