Everything a doctor needs to understand their student loans.
Plain-English guides written for physicians and dentists, no jargon, no sales pitch. Start with the basics, then go deep on the 2026 rules, forgiveness, and refinancing.
New to the alphabet soup? PSLF, RAP, IBR, PAYE, ICR, SAVE — see what every option means in plain English →
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Best student loan repayment plan for physicians
PSLF, RAP, capped IBR, or refinance? A numbers-first way to pick the right 2026 plan.
PSLF · newPSLF for doctors explained
The 120-payment rule, qualifying employers, whether residency counts, and the 2026 changes.
Payoff · newHow to pay off medical school loans
7 steps: forgiveness vs. payoff, refinancing, filing status, and the six-figure mistakes to avoid.
Calculator · freeFree physician student loan calculator
Compare PSLF, RAP, capped IBR & refinancing on your exact numbers — no login.
Complete guide · 12 minThe complete physician's guide to student loans
The whole landscape in one place: how repayment works, PSLF vs RAP vs IBR vs refinancing, the 2025 law, the tax bomb, and a clear decision framework.
Read the guide →“Legacy borrower” won’t protect your repayment plan: the 2026 trap
Why your next loan after July 1, 2026 locks you into RAP — even if you’re grandfathered on borrowing limits. RAP vs IBR, the reset timeline, and what to do.
Read the guide →2026 student-loan changes for physicians
Consolidation timing, PAYE vs IBR vs RAP for PSLF, the July 1 deadline, and the 2028 PAYE retirement, explained.
Read the guide →The SAVE plan is over: what to do now
SAVE's forbearance ends Sept 30, 2026 and interest has accrued since Aug 2025. Switch to IBR, protect PSLF, and dodge the Standard-plan default.
Read the guide →PSLF when you're married: joint payments, SAVE forbearance & buyback
How IDR payments split between spouses, whether SAVE-forbearance months count, and how PSLF buyback works in 2026, for two-loan households.
Read the guide →PSLF buyback: recover months that didn't count
Spent residency or the SAVE forbearance in a status that didn't count? How buyback converts those months into qualifying payments, eligibility, 2026 cost, and who it actually helps.
Read the guide → Foundations · 8 minMedical school student loans, explained
Federal vs private, Grad PLUS, how interest capitalizes, and what actually happens to your loans during residency. The map before you pick a route.
Read the guide → 2026 rules · 7 minWhat the 2025 law changed for doctors
RAP replaces the old income-driven plans, SAVE/PAYE/ICR are sunsetting, and Grad PLUS is gone. What it means and the dates that matter.
Read the guide → Dentists · 7 minDental school loans: the repayment guide
The same federal options: PSLF, RAP, refinancing, but your employer and associate-vs-owner path change the answer. Built for dentists.
Read the guide →Repayment & forgiveness
PSLF for residents: start the clock right
Qualifying employers, the certification step most residents miss, and why refinancing in training can be a six-figure mistake.
Read the guide → PSLF · 7 minPSLF for 1099 & locum physicians
Why 1099 and locum work usually doesn’t count toward PSLF — the W-2 rule, the locum trap, and what to do instead.
Read the guide →Residency · 6 minResidency loans, explained
Relocation loans vs. managing your student loans on a resident salary — and the moves that actually save money.
Read the guide →PSLF · 6 minMFJ vs MFS for PSLF
Filing separately can lower your PSLF-qualifying payment so more is forgiven tax-free — the trade-off and when it wins.
Read the guide →Couples · 6 minPhysician couples & student loans
PSLF vs refinance, joint vs separate filing, and two borrowers — the 2026 strategy for married physicians.
Read the guide →Filing · 6 minCommunity property states & PSLF
In the 9 community-property states, income splits 50/50 — how that changes the married-filing-separately math.
Read the guide →Filing · 6 minIs married filing separately worth it?
It lowers your loan payment but raises your tax. The break-even and when MFS actually pays off.
Read the guide →Repayment · 6 minPAYE & ICR are ending in 2028
Which plans end and when, what happens if you do nothing, how your PSLF count is protected, and whether to move to IBR or RAP.
Read the guide →Repayment · 6 minWhat replaced SAVE?
SAVE was struck down — what happens to your account, and how to choose between IBR and the new RAP.
Read the guide →Tool · CouplesPhysician couple calculator
Married? Compare filing jointly vs separately for your student loans — both spouses’ loans, PSLF and tax cost, with a recommended strategy.
Open the tool → PSLF · 8 minHow PSLF works for doctors
The 120-payment rule, who qualifies, the annual step most physicians miss, and what actually changed in 2026, with a visual timeline.
Read the guide → PSLF · 7 minDo physicians actually benefit from PSLF?
Is it a gift or a trap? An honest, data-backed look at who really comes out ahead — and how your specialty, training length, and employer decide it.
Read the guide → Residency · 7 min7 student-loan mistakes residents make
Forbearance, skipped certifications, refinancing too early, the costly, avoidable errors, with the official data on why PSLF applications get denied.
Read the guide → Plans · 6 minRAP vs IBR for physicians
Why the capped IBR payment can save high-earning attendings tens of thousands versus the new RAP plan, and who should use which.
Read the guide → Taxes · 5 minThe student-loan "tax bomb"
Why non-PSLF forgiveness can trigger a big tax bill in year 20 or 30, and how to plan for it so it doesn't blindside you.
Read the guide →Strategy
Should I refinance my medical school loans?
A clear decision framework: when refinancing wins, when it's a costly mistake, and how to think about rate, term, and timing.
Read the guide → Refinancing · 7 minRefinancing student loans: pros & cons
What you gain and what you permanently give up: PSLF, income-driven plans, disability discharge, with real physician savings examples.
Read the guide → Tax strategy · 6 minThe married-filing-separately move
How filing taxes separately can slash an income-driven loan payment for dual-income physician households, and when it backfires.
Read the guide →Get your own personalized answer in minutes.
The guides explain the rules. The engine runs them on your exact numbers, free.
Run my numbers →Free calculators
Quick estimates, then run the full engine for your ranked plan.
PSLF forgiveness calculator
Estimate tax-free forgiveness, payments remaining, and your forgiveness date.
Open calculator → CalculatorRefinance savings calculator
Compare your current rate and term to a refinance offer, see interest saved.
Open calculator → CalculatorPayoff & prepayment calculator
Your payoff date, total interest, and what an extra payment saves.
Open calculator → CalculatorTax-bomb calculator
Estimate federal + state tax on income-driven forgiveness.
Open calculator →By career stage
The right move changes as your income and employer do.
Decisions & deep dives
Student loans by specialty
Repayment strategy depends heavily on your field's income and debt. Specialty-specific breakdowns:
Reference
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