> Not to mention the 10 year Federal forgiveness for working in a qualified institution (aka nonprofit hospital/academic)

Public Service Loan Forgiveness requires 10 years of making student loan payments.

> Some states offer free tuition if you promise to work in that state for a few years after.

for example, the Georgia program offers up to $25k per year for up to 4 years max [1]. It requires application and takes into account health outcomes, specialty, debt, etc so it seems its not automatic acceptance. With an average medical school debt of over $200k this is not free tuition.

[1] https://healthcareworkforce.georgia.gov/loan-repayment-schol...