Medical students who went into debt could figure on owing $126,714 in 2007 on average, up from $88,331 in 2000, and such statistics are being cited by American Medical Association as the organization prepares for their annual meeting in Chicago. Among the hundreds of policy recommendations on the agenda include some strategies aimed at reducing the med-student debt. Medical school debt load can have broad implications: It's one of the most common reasons given for problems like the shortage of physicians and the skewing of medical professionals toward specialty practices.