We aren’t just
for PhDs.
You’ve given your life to serving others. The mortgage market often penalizes you for it — high student loan balances, delayed income, years in training. Our Doctor Program is built specifically around the financial reality of medical professionals.
Get My Doctor Loan Quote →The mortgage market wasn’t
designed for physicians
Standard mortgage underwriting was built around a straightforward borrower profile: stable W-2 income, minimal debt, years of employment history. Physicians rarely fit that mold — at least not at first.
You may be finishing a residency or fellowship with a large student loan balance and a modest training salary. You may be starting at a new practice with an employment contract but no pay stubs yet. You may be carrying $200,000+ in student debt that wrecks your debt-to-income ratio on paper — even though your earning trajectory is exceptional.
Standard loan programs penalize all of this. The Doctor Program doesn’t. Student loans in deferment or forbearance during residency or fellowship are excluded entirely from your debt-to-income calculation — not just treated more favorably, excluded. And there is no mortgage insurance on this product, period.
High student loan balances inflating your debt-to-income ratio even when payments are deferred or income-driven
Limited employment history as a new attending after years of training that don’t count as conventional employment
Low current income during residency or fellowship that doesn’t reflect your future earning potential
Little saved for down payment after years of training expenses and deferred financial planning
A loan program built
around your career
The Doctor Program uses a different underwriting framework — one that accounts for the reality of medical careers rather than penalizing you for them.
Student loans in deferment or forbearance are excluded from DTI calculations for borrowers currently in residency or a medical clinical fellowship program qualifying on their current training income. For all other borrowers, student loan payments are handled more favorably than standard programs.
There is no mortgage insurance on this product — at any down payment level. Employment contracts for new attendings are accepted in place of pay stubs, loan amounts go up to $2M, and down payment requirements are significantly lower than conventional jumbo programs.
The result is a loan structure designed to get you into a home at the right time — not after you’ve spent years saving a conventional down payment on a resident’s salary.
See If I Qualify →What the Doctor Program
actually gives you
As little as 0–10% down depending on loan amount and lender program — significantly lower than conventional requirements for the same loan size.
There is no mortgage insurance on this product — at any down payment level. This alone saves most physician borrowers hundreds of dollars per month compared to conventional alternatives.
For residents and fellows qualifying on training income, student loans in deferment or forbearance are excluded entirely from DTI. No other conventional program offers this.
New attendings can qualify using a signed employment contract rather than pay stubs — so you can buy a home before your first paycheck.
Doctor loans allow loan amounts up to $2,000,000 — well above conforming limits — reflecting the home purchase needs and income trajectory of medical professionals.
We partner with lenders offering competitive Doctor Program pricing. Your earning potential is recognized — and priced accordingly.
A broker who actually
understands complexity
Jordan Steffaniak holds a PhD and founded Professor Lending on the belief that borrowers deserve a broker who actually understands their situation — not one who runs them through a standard checklist and declines when something doesn’t fit.
Medical professionals often have complex financial profiles. High income potential alongside high student debt. New jobs with employment contracts instead of pay history. The Doctor Program requires a lender who knows how to structure it correctly — and who has access to the lenders who offer it.
We’ll assess your full picture and match you to the right program and lender for where you are in your career right now.
A note on eligibility
At least one borrower whose income is being used to qualify must hold an eligible designation and be in active practice. The following are ineligible for this program: chiropractors, DACA recipients, foreign nationals, borrowers with diplomatic status, LLCs, corporations, partnerships, non-revocable trusts, guardianships, and land trusts (except Illinois Land Trusts). If you’re unsure whether your situation qualifies, reach out — we’ll give you a straight answer quickly.
Check My Eligibility →Common questions from
medical professionals
Eligible professionals include MD, DO, DDS, DMD, PharmD, VMD, DPM, and CRNA designations. Some lenders extend eligibility to other advanced medical degrees. We’ll confirm your specific eligibility quickly — just reach out.
Yes. Many Doctor loan programs are specifically designed with residents and fellows in mind. Your training income is accepted, and in many cases you can qualify based on a future employment contract if you’re transitioning to an attending position — even before your start date.
For borrowers currently in residency or a medical clinical fellowship qualifying on their training income, student loan payments in deferment, forbearance, or on an income-based repayment plan showing $0 due are excluded entirely from the debt-to-income calculation. For all other borrowers, a payment must be included in DTI — but the program still handles it more favorably than conventional underwriting by allowing the income-driven payment amount shown on the credit report or loan documentation rather than defaulting to a higher calculated figure.
Down payment requirements vary by lender and loan amount, but many Doctor programs allow 0–5% down on loans up to $1M or more — without mortgage insurance. This is significantly more flexible than conventional programs, which typically require 20% to avoid mortgage insurance at these loan sizes.
In most cases, yes. Doctor loan lenders typically accept a signed employment contract as proof of income for new attendings who haven’t yet started. You’ll generally need to begin employment within 60–90 days of closing. This allows you to buy a home and be settled before your first day.
Most Doctor loan programs are designed for primary residences only. However, once you’re established and ready to invest, our DSCR and conventional investor programs are available to you. Many physician investors eventually build a real estate portfolio alongside their medical careers — and we can help with both stages.
You serve others.
We serve you.
Free quote. No credit pull. Doctor Program specialists ready to help.