The only way you would be walking the wards for 10 years is if you got continuously rejected for every training position you applied for.
Actually if you look at the SET Selection regulations for RACS you'll see the earliest you can apply is in postgraduate year (PGY) 2, for PGY3. Last year, one candidate got on in PGY2, the rest were PGY3+ The shortest training program is general surgery, which is 5 years not including fellowship or research components. The longer ones are 7 years. So assuming you get on to everything instantly, and never fail any exams, the soonest you could theoretically be a consultant surgeon in Australia is as a general surgeon after 7 years of walking the wards. Given that neurosurgery, orthopaedics etc all take candidates PGY4+ and they are 5-7 year programs, their minimum PGY status to be a consultant is 10 years of ward walking (not including the ward walking you do as a student), assuming you get on to everything instantly, and never fail an exam, and never do research. In reality most candidates are at least PGY 10+ for general and 12+ for the other specialities by the time they become consultants.
So you're mistaken in that. And in your salary estimates.