Many people begin their careers as an apprentice in a lower level position in a company or start their business or livelihood through a passion or pursuit that they are active in from an early age.
It's no surprise that Hospital radio has given birth to a wealth of famous personalities over its time on air in the various hospital wards up and down the country.
Some of these caring volunteers ended up in other lines of work, invariably connected to music in some form or another - like the Kasier Chief's duo of Simon Rix and Nick Hodgson. While the majority who end up in professional lines of work go on to become celebrities in their own right, from sports commentators to DJs and chat show hosts on national radio stations.
While a great many people, 2500 in the UK at the last count, are unpaid volunteers. Hospital Radio is a great training ground for people who wish to learn how radio works and to develop the skills required to become a radio star.
Quite a few people in the broadcasting industry proper began their careers while working at a hospital radio station. Plying their trade on a part time basis to learn the trade before being spotted by or heard performing by BBC and individual radio station producers.
It takes a special kind of personality to cheer up patients who are admitted to hospital. It is this kind of attitude and outgoing, caring individual that usually works well when communicating over the radio waves to a national audience.
It is also a great reason to volunteer for a hospital radio station gig in the first place. Some of the names you have probably heard of that began their careers at a hospital near you were:
Two BBC Radio presenters are very thankful for their early chances at radio life. Scott Mills who presents on BBC Radio One served his time as a volunteer at a local hospital radio station in Southampton. Another BBC DJ, Chris Moyles also started out the same way but at a different hospital and Wakefield's Broadcast to Hospitals Service.
Radio presenters on BBC Radio Two also volunteered at an early age to kick start their careers, Ken Bruce, Andrew Peach and Simon Mayo - Southlands hospital radio. Other notable celebrities on the air waves include Hospital Radio Plymouth's Philip Schofield and Jason Mohammad at Hospital Radio Plymouth.