The median public med school of $207K might be including out of state residents. For in New York State: Public SUNY Downstate tuition: $30K x 4 = $120K Dorm room $5500/yr Other living expenses $12K per year Total $188K http://sls.downstate.edu/financial_aid/costs/CollegeofMedici...

SUNY Undergrad (in-state) About $22K x 4 = $88K http://sls.downstate.edu/financial_aid/costs/CollegeofMedici...

Total (without any financial aid) $188K (medical) + 88K (undergrad) = $276K

This is approximately the same cost as a private undergraduate education including on-campus living expenses (about $250K). Example: Columbia College at Columbia University is approx $62K per year + travel or $248K total + travel. http://www.college.columbia.edu/bulletin/feesandexpenses.php

Instead of attending pricey private undergrad and then medical school attend public undergrad and public medical school for about the same price.

There should be a study of median debt for those who attend both in-state public undergrad and public medical school vs. those who did not make that choice.

(Your SUNY undergrad link is the same as your medical school link.)

The tuition indicated for Columbia is the maximum one could pay, which is significantly decreased by financial aid depending on need -- presumably much more so than at SUNY. Columbia's financial aid includes no loans and the average aid award is about $40k (of those with need, so presumably about $20k over all students).

In addition to Columbia being considered a much better school than SUNY, for many students it may actually be cheaper to go to Columbia ... if they can get in.

It's an interesting question - is this in fact a good thing, because we are left with only those who really want to be doctors regardless of how much money they make (and some people from really rich families)? Medicine seems like a field where you wouldn't want people that are motivated by money.

The problem is that large scale debt makes you interested in money AFTER you get the degree. While getting it, the debts on hold, and there is no pressure.

If you want a class of Doctors that don't care about money, have them accumulate moderate debt, and get a nice but not extravagant income. But Huge debt with a just large enough income to pay it off, just makes people who otherwise wouldn't care about cash, start caring about cash.

(This is exacerbated by the fact that many Doc's go straight through and have never had a job until Residency, where they have to pay off the debt - but are not (yet) making enough money to do so. That'll focus your mind on money fast.)

That's predicated on the false premise that being motivated by money is in any way correlated (positively or negatively) with the qualities we want in doctors. Lots (most?) brilliant people are motivated by money.

Brilliance isn't the only thing I'd look for in a doctor... most of the time, you have a very common issue and don't need brilliance. Having several family members who are doctors, I would say the most important thing to me would be compassion.