In a world where i know nurses often perform doctors dutys and jobs, while new doctors stumble around clueless.
Knowledge on adjunct fields and skills can accumulate in a person over time, thus allowing them to perform similar feets.
Like, a bright pupil might learn from a master, if it is not intended. It has happend- since medieval times- apprenticeships, although a attack on caste-think can happen today. Yes, they did not jump through the money hoops, that are suppossed to keep them away- but some of them studied what happens around them. Those servant peoples.. they might not be automatons.
If it had a drop-out quota similar to comp sci or math, i might actually consider your elitism a valid opinion.
Post all the meritocracy nonsense you need to post, but deep down you know, if you had the money and a mediocre kid- you would help him through and put additional money hoops up behind him to jump through.
The irony, that all the others doing the same thing, have you lay on a metal table, beeing cut open by maybee not the best person for the job, it never reaches escape velocity.
Academia usually garants a minimum of performance - i will give you that, it is no indicator for a maximum.