^I agree. The pay is the same regardless of whether one attends a public or private medical school.
My DS was facing the same dilemma 3 years ago" He was a NMF, “premed” with a generous offer from Alabama. His friends were attending schools such as Harvard, Stanford, Vanderbilt …He chose Alabama and has not regretted it. He enthusiastically talks about the leadership opportunities he has taken advantage of, research and extracurricular activities, not to mention the gorgeous campus and apartment. His friend that attends Harvard is miserable, and is considering taking a gap year, some others will be facing significant debt. DS has decided to apply to dental school and has an impressive resume, a strong GPA and he feels he aced the committee interview. While he has not taken the actual DAT exam yet, he is showing strong scores on the practice test. Alabama was the right choice.