Helen Hockings studied Medicine at Clare College, graduating in 2007. She went on to complete her medical training at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, in Cambridge. Before starting her studies in Cambridge in October 2004, she was a Music Scholar at James Allen's Girls' School in Dulwich. She also attended the Junior Department of the Royal College of Music, where she learnt violin and piano as joint first studies, and, as a violinist, reached the Final Round of the Angela Bull Memorial Competition. She was a member of the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain for three years and in 2004 was Co-Principal Second Violin. As a chamber music violinist, she was a member of Pro Corda from 1997 to 2004 and while at Cambridge University held a University Instrumental Award. In 2003 she reached the Keyboard Semi-Final of the BBC Young Musician of the Year Competition, and in November 2004 she performed Chopin's Piano Concerto in E-Minor with the orchestra of Clare College Music Society.