It is complicated to answer this because yes, you get paid more but...it is also cost and earning inflation like someone else already said.
And there are several errors in the question itself..
In the United States, a doctor’s first year after medical school is not a fully paid, independent position. it’s an actual residency. That is different in other countries where you don't need specialty to be hired as a general doctor.
A first year resident PGY-1 typically earns around $55,000 $70,000 per year (roughly $4,500 $6,000/month before tax).
That might sound high compared to other countries, but it comes with important circumstances. They work 60 80 hours per week. They carry massive student debt (often $200,000–$400,000)..The cost of living, insurance, and malpractice coverage is very high compared to Africa..in fact in Africa it can be non-existent because the cost is covered by the government itself.
The residents are also still in training, not fully autonomous physicians. They are still paying for their education.
So they are not simply “earning more than $3,000 right out of school.” They’ve gone through 10+ years of education and are still underpaid relative to their workload at that stage.
But of course, there is more to this. From my own experience working in Algeria and Canada, the difference is less about “medicine pays more in the U.S.” and more about how the entire system is structured.
It is money-oriented.
Your healthcare system is extremely expensive and highly privatized. Doctors’ salaries AFTER RESIDENCY are higher partly because the entire system charges more ;consultations, procedures, insurance billing, everything.. just a reminder, I am talking about after residency..not the comparison you listed here
And then there is the cost of training, in countries like China or South Africa, medical education is often subsidized. In contrast, your doctors graduate with enormous debt, which drives higher salaries later..In the U.S., the big salaries you hear about ($200k–$400k+) come after residency, again, once physicians become attendings. That is very different from a first-year doctor. Incredibly different. And it is true, he would make much more money by then in the US..
