Dr Mark Spencer was born in Sydney and attended Marist Brothers Eastwood until his admission to the Faculty of Dentistry in the University of Sydney in 1972. He followed in the footsteps of his father and his father’s father, who were also dental surgeons. During his time at university, he was awarded the title of “Dental Prosector in Anatomy” in 1973. He also had an interest in bio-medical science and spent some time in his holidays assisting in micro-biological research at the Sydney Dental Hospital.
Mark graduated Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) with second-class Honours in 1977. He graduated with three undergraduate prizes – in Periodontics, in Oral Surgery and in Regional Anaesthetics.