Should the tuition paid by a medical student be considered the full and final payment on his/her education? Is society owned anything given the true cost is not paid for by students?

Every college/university I know of is supported by gifts, endowments, and/or taxes, as well as tuition.

What do you think would happen in our society if no one decided to go to medical school because they would have to pay and pay and pay throughout their lives?

When you come up with your own response to this question, please repost, and someone here will be happy to critique your thinking.

No college student pays for their own education in full. Endowments, taxes and private funds pay a large portion of the total expenses. The question remains: does a student owe the society and system that fostered her?

Vice Admiral Rickover addressed this concern in his book "Education and Freedom" in 1959. In it he laid out the path for excellence in education, to which the recipents were to keep the cycle ongoing. Many folks do not agree with him and his thesis.
We will be happy to critique your thinking.

To address the question of whether the tuition paid by a medical student should be considered the full and final payment for their education, it is important to consider a few factors.

1. Tuition as a payment for education: Tuition fees are generally intended to cover the costs associated with providing education and maintaining the infrastructure and resources needed for learning. However, it is worth noting that tuition alone may not fully cover the true cost of educating a student, especially in fields like medicine, which require extensive resources and practical training.

2. Subsidies and external funding: Many educational institutions receive additional funding from various sources, such as government subsidies, grants, donations, and research funding. These external sources of funding often help bridge the gap between the actual cost of education and the tuition paid by students.

3. Education as a societal investment: Education, including medical education, is often seen as a societal investment to produce competent professionals who contribute to society's well-being. The benefits of having well-trained doctors extend beyond the students themselves, as they contribute to healthcare systems, research, and public health. Therefore, it can be argued that society also has a stake in supporting the cost of medical education.

So, while medical students contribute to their education through tuition fees, it can be said that the true cost of their education may not be fully covered by these fees alone. Additional funding from subsidies, donations, and other sources, along with the societal benefits of a well-educated medical workforce, suggest that society also has a role to play in supporting medical education.

However, it is important to note that this is a complex issue with varying perspectives and approaches in different countries and educational systems.