I know someone who is currently thrilled about soon going to physical therapy school (3 year graduate degree). Estimated debt taken on: approximately $240,000.

Federal government will let you take all this with a few clicks of a button.

Average income of these "doctors" is what -- $70k?

wow, really? 240k for a DPT? My wife graduated the last year her school offered the Masters program, 2007 I believe with something like 7k in loans. Granted, her parent's pretty much covered everything, somehow.

I walked away with my CS degree (CIS, really) with ~80k in debt in 2008.

Average income varies I think, starting salary for her in 2007 was 45k, but that was Mid Missouri. Here in the Seattle area, it's a bit higher, and as a manager of a clinic (also practicing PT) it's close to twice that. I think as a non manager, 70k is about right here though.

If you're gonna do it, there's no reason not to go big any more. If you get on a debt repayment plan and work for either a nonprofit or the government you only pay 15% of you disposable income toward your debt for ten years. Then it's gone.