[oaktrout]

I know a lot of doctors and medical students, for the vast majority prestige is not a primary motivator, not sure why you think its the prestige motivating everyone.

Knowing these people, I also get the feeling that if pay were worse / debt was higher they would have pursued alternate careers. If your goal is to make more physicians you don't want to make the job less desirable. There are already paid residency positions that go unfilled every year (not because there arent enough students, but because the students dont want them). I don't know why you think people would pursue positions that they have to pay for.

To your other point on the intense competition: If half the people currently applying to medical school quit applying the quality of your average future doctor would drop.