Nope, the average person does not know how much doctors make, especially if the doctor is a specialist. We get paid like shyt during residency because of how much we work and our education level but we still make more than most Americans during residency. When I tell women my speciality most women don't even think I am a doctor...lol
In that woman's defense the way the guy answered the question is kinda clunky and made no sense. He is not a doctor, he is most likely a CRNA. He said he just graduated from medical school in anesthesia. Most doctors will just say they "just graduated from residency as an anesthesiologist" or they just graduated from medical school and they are in an "anesthesia residency program", or just say "I am an anesthesiologist". The way he phrased it sounds like he just graduated from CRNA school...which is "technically" a doctorate program but they are aren't doctors in the same way an anesthesiologist is a doctor. Either way, he is still doing really well financially.