You are ignoring a lot of really important factors, such as investments. Obviously if neither person invests any money then the doctor will come out ahead at th

You are ignoring a lot of really important factors, such as investments. Obviously if neither person invests any money then the doctor will come out ahead at the end. Furthermore, if you are making $85k a year and haven't paid off your BA by the time you are 27 you are a moron. Plus, most of the debt the doctor will have is probably in the 6.5% range. Regardless, I'm not saying that a doctor will make less than an IT worker over the course of their life, only that the IT worker will be leagues ahead of their doctor brethren for a large part of their working life. On top of that, quality of life is an issue as well. Most doctors I know are still on call several nights a week, and work odd shifts. Most IT workers I know are on call for a fraction of the time doctors are on call, and generally work standard hours. If money is your only goal, being a doctor is probably a more reliable career path. However, it's not far and away the more obvious career path, at least if you live in the United States.