Mr William Townley read medical sciences at Clare College, Cambridge and clinical medicine at Brasenose College, Oxford. He returned to London to complete basic surgical training and then undertook a two-year research degree at the RAFT Institute (University College London) leading to the award of MD.

He then completed specialist training in Plastic surgery in London and Oxford. He spent a year of further subspecialist training (Breast, Head and Neck) in Toronto, Canada, followed by six months working as a Consultant Plastic Surgeon in British Columbia.