There's also something else to consider. 7-13 years is a long time, and lots of things in your life will change. You may not be able to or want to practice medicine (I know one of each), but that debt isn't going anywhere.
You also have to factor in the job security, the fact that transitions to other roles does not entail a pay cut (as in law or finance) and the potential to be your own boss (run your own practice).
Doctors who make little money (the reason the average is so low) is because they choose to work less hours and spend time with family and friends. It's not as bleak as you think.
That seems like quite an exaggeration to me. Surgeons are highly paid, but in the grand scheme of things very few of them make $1m+/year. And the ones who do so generally do not do so easily. Neurosurgeons and orthopedic surgeons are generally the highest paid of all doctors, but both rarely crack seven figures, and they work horrendous hours in many cases. And becoming a neurosurgeon is simply beyond the ability of most medical students anyway.
Perhaps if you set up a plastic surgery shop in Beverly Hills and hired other doctors under you.
It's even worse when you factor in their opportunity losses by spending 4 years more in school and 3-5 years more in residency (where you don't get paid much). And if you add in a specialized fellowship? That's 3-4 more years. It's 7-13 years before you actually get to start making real money. And if you're a GP, you're still only making a fraction of what you could be making elsewhere.