Medical school an expensive luxury?

Being an international full-fee paying student is definitely not fun if you're not from a multibillionaire family (A$30+K a year!). But some people just have to make it worse. The comments I have heard range from:

1. The snarky
"You international students have it easy, the entrance requirements for the more sought-after courses like Medicine and Engineering are lower for full-fee payers. The university just wants your money."

2. The conspiracy-theorists'
"Did you know that examination results for international students get marked up? That's why they get the marks they do despite their lesser understanding of [insert subject here]."

and

3. The frustrated
"International students are bringing down the quality of the university."

Although rants like these don't really bother me, its the comments like:

"You pay how much? That's for the whole course right? WHAT? Each YEAR? So you pay 6 times that?? Do you have a job? WHAT? NO? Hahaha, you're on scholarship right?"

that give me this really large lump in my throat (not globus hystericus) .

I am up to my neck in debts. I calculated that I cannot repay the money I owe even if I work steadily for a full 10 years. Recent articles in the Star have highlighted the fact that the 'trend' for Asian families to push for a child to pursue Medicine, whether consciously or subconsciously, is going to result in a whole generation of disgruntled, destitute doctors in say, 6 years time.

ARGHHHhhhhhHHHh..!!! *tears hair out*

Why didn't I just settle for a nice secretarial job with my excellent typing skills?