Built for Big Student Debt and Bigger Potential

A doctor loan (sometimes called a physician loan) is designed for medical professionals whose financial picture doesn't look like a typical borrower's. Someone finishing residency or newly in practice often carries a large student loan balance and hasn't had years to save for a traditional down payment, even though their income is about to climb.

These programs often allow a smaller down payment than a conventional loan would require, sometimes without the private mortgage insurance that a similar low-down-payment conventional buyer would pay. Student loan debt is frequently treated differently too, since a lender familiar with these programs understands that an income-driven repayment plan doesn't reflect a doctor's real long-term earning power.

Eligibility usually centers on your degree and profession (MD, DO, DDS, DMD, and similar are common), along with proof of your employment contract or new position. This is a program with real variation between lenders, which makes it a good candidate for shopping around rather than taking the first offer from your bank.