👨‍⚕️ This is very true. So why on earth do they charge $$$$ annual tuition? First & second year med students sit in a handful of lectures a day - most often streamed so they’re not even in person! Could play back pre-recorded lectures (free). 3rd/4th years they act as free labor in hospitals & clinics, helping take care of patients as they learn. Again, how does that cost anything? Sure, they have administrative costs and costs for cadavers in the anatomy lab but it’s a drop in the bucket compared to what they charge for tuition, not to mention $100+ application fees per school (which they charge you even if you have no chance of getting in!). I want to open a free or nearly free med school: Everyone accepted as long as they meet prerequisite courses etc. Years 1 & 2: fully online, taught by best professors on earth. Tests at testing centers. Community primary care preceptors 1-2x/week. If you pass boards exam, you move on. Otherwise you don’t. Years 3 & 4: Rotations at local hospitals & clinics. No expensive apartments. No moving. Learn to practice in your own community where you likely intend to practice medicine in the future. Slightly different experience but reduces barriers to entry. Won’t just be for the rich. Parents, middle and lower class, anyone can become a doctor if committed.