Internship is one year, you make ~30k. Residency goes like, 45k, 50k, 65k, 75k, and then your attending and its hundred(s) depending on specialty. You can afford life and minimum loans, internship year is hard, but lets not pretend residents dont make enough to eat. And the debt is closer to 250k, which the inevitable after 6 year salary of 110k+ can take care of in a decade. Comparing this to our situation isnt particularly apt.