Tampa General Hospital is Florida’s Premier Academic Health System — and it is the most consequential physician employment anchor in the Tampa Bay area. The hospital is a 981-bed not-for-profit academic health system located on Davis Island in Hillsborough Bay, adjacent to the South Tampa peninsula. It is the region’s only Level I adult and pediatric trauma center, with five medical helicopters transporting critically injured patients from 23 surrounding counties. It is the primary teaching hospital for the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine and supports more than 700 residents and fellows across specialty programs. In 2024, Tampa General and USF Health announced a historic $162 million investment to deepen academic integration, recruit best-in-class providers, and advance research. The hospital was the nation’s #1 adult solid organ transplant center in 2024 and ranks among the top 50 hospitals nationwide in six specialties for 2025–26 by U.S. News & World Report. Forbes named it the top large healthcare employer in Tampa Bay for 2025 — the second consecutive year.
The system’s specialty institutes — Cancer, Heart and Vascular, Neuroscience, Transplant, Orthopaedics, and the Muma Children’s Hospital — recruit physicians and surgeons nationally, and the proximity to USF Health’s research enterprise creates academic career opportunities alongside clinical roles. AdventHealth Tampa, BayCare Health System, and HCA Florida Pepin Heart Institute add further physician employment depth to the Hillsborough County market.
Physicians arriving in Tampa carry the financial profile that medical training creates: student loan obligations that can exceed $300,000, employment contracts that begin before the first paycheck, and career income that far exceeds what recent tax returns reflect. Tampa’s price structure — where quality single-family homes in South Tampa’s Plant High School zone begin at $800,000 to $900,000, Davis Islands non-waterfront homes start at $900,000, and Westchase and Wesley Chapel new construction runs $700,000 to $1.5 million in premium communities — means that a physician arriving without a physician-specific mortgage program faces real structural barriers to purchasing the home their career actually supports.
Ryan Lehrman, NMLS #235295, structures physician mortgage loans for Tampa’s medical community — from residents beginning programs at Tampa General and USF Health to attending physicians, fellowship-trained specialists, and department heads building careers at one of Florida’s premier academic health systems.
No Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI) — On a $950,000 South Tampa home purchased with 10% down, PMI at standard rates adds $400 to $550 per month. Physician loans eliminate PMI entirely regardless of down payment — a direct monthly savings that compounds significantly over the first years of practice when cash is still being deployed toward student loans, relocation costs, and financial reserve building.
Flexible Down Payment Options — Most physician programs allow 0% to 10% down without PMI, depending on loan amount and program tier. A physician purchasing a $1.1 million Hyde Park bungalow with 10% down preserves $99,000 in liquidity. On a $1.5 million Davis Islands home with 10% down, the preservation is $135,000 — real money for someone who has spent the better part of a decade in training.
Student Loan Flexibility — Medical school debt of $200,000 to $400,000 is common among Tampa General's physician recruits. Standard conventional underwriting treats student loans at 1% of balance per month in debt-to-income — which adds $2,000 to $4,000 per month to DTI for a typical physician, frequently disqualifying them from any purchase in South Tampa. Physician programs treat IBR and deferred student loan payments at the actual documented IBR amount, dramatically improving qualifying ratios and making the neighborhoods where physician families actually want to live accessible from the first contract.
Contract-Based Income Verification — Physicians joining Tampa General, USF Health Morsani College of Medicine faculty, AdventHealth, BayCare, or private specialty practices in Hillsborough County can qualify using their executed employment contract before receiving any paycheck. The signed offer letter, start date, and compensation structure are the qualifying documents. Two years of tax returns showing residency stipend income are not required.
Jumbo Physician Programs — Given Tampa's South Tampa pricing, most physician purchases in desirable neighborhoods require Jumbo financing. Physician Jumbo extends the full benefit structure to loan amounts above $832,750 — without requiring two years of attending income history. A cardiothoracic surgeon joining Tampa General with a first attending contract and a target Davis Islands home at $1.8 million has options here that no standard Jumbo program provides.
Program-Specific Matching — Physician loan terms vary by lender, credential, and loan amount. Ryan identifies the specific program that fits the professional designation, income structure, and purchase price before any application is submitted.
MD (Doctor of Medicine)
DO (Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine)
DDS (Doctor of Dental Surgery)
DMD (Doctor of Dental Medicine)
DVM (Doctor of Veterinary Medicine)
OD (Doctor of Optometry)
DPM (Doctor of Podiatric Medicine)
PharmD (Doctor of Pharmacy)
PA-C (Physician Assistant – Certified)
APRN (Advanced Practice Registered Nurse)
Residents and Fellows (including those in Tampa General's 700-plus resident and fellow training programs)
For physicians purchasing in Hillsborough County’s family-oriented communities — Westchase, Carrollwood, South Tampa entry tier, New Tampa, Brandon, and the FishHawk Ranch corridor — where quality single-family homes price from $600,000 to $1.3 million. This is the standard program for Tampa General residents and fellows who are purchasing their first Tampa home concurrent with training or attending contract signing. No PMI, IBR student loan treatment, contract income verification, and flexible down payment make this the tool that makes practical homeownership possible in Tampa on a physician’s actual financial profile.
For attending physicians, surgical specialists, department directors, and USF Health Morsani College of Medicine faculty members purchasing in South Tampa’s premium neighborhoods — Hyde Park, Palma Ceia, Davis Islands, Sunset Park, Harbour Island — where the purchase price is above $832,750 and the standard Jumbo program’s income documentation requirements are inconsistent with a new attending’s financial profile. Physician Jumbo extends the benefit structure to Jumbo loan amounts without the two-year income history requirement. A transplant surgeon with a new Tampa General contract targeting a $1.6 million Davis Islands non-waterfront home has specific options here.
For physicians who want to build — whether in FishHawk Ranch, Wesley Chapel, or a South Tampa teardown situation — and who have a Tampa General or USF Health employment contract as their income foundation. Physician One-Time Close extends contract income verification, IBR student loan treatment, and no-PMI into the construction loan context. A physician signing a Tampa General contract in spring can be in a completed FishHawk Ranch custom home by the following year — with a permanent rate locked from the day of the construction closing.
Specific physician loan expertise for Tampa General Hospital and USF Health Morsani College of Medicine physician recruits
Specific physician loan expertise for Tampa General Hospital and USF Health Morsani College of Medicine physician recruits
Specific physician loan expertise for Tampa General Hospital and USF Health Morsani College of Medicine physician recruits
Specific physician loan expertise for Tampa General Hospital and USF Health Morsani College of Medicine physician recruits
Specific physician loan expertise for Tampa General Hospital and USF Health Morsani College of Medicine physician recruits
Specific physician loan expertise for Tampa General Hospital and USF Health Morsani College of Medicine physician recruits
Ryan Lehrman, NMLS #235295
Professional Credential: MD, DO, DDS, DMD, DVM, OD, DPM, PharmD, PA-C, APRN, and residents and fellows in accredited programs, including Tampa General's 700-plus training positions. Specific program eligibility varies by credential and loan tier — confirm at the time of consultation.
Employment and Income: Fully executed employment contract with defined start date and compensation. Residents and fellows qualify on current or signed forthcoming contract. New attendings qualify using contract income before the first paycheck. Bonus and quality incentive compensation documented in the employment agreement is included in qualifying income.
Student Loan Treatment: IBR and deferred student loan payments treated at the actual documented payment amount, not 1% of balance. Physicians from USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, University of Florida, University of South Florida, or out-of-state MD and DO programs qualify under this treatment as a standard feature.
Credit: Minimum 700 for most physician programs. Thin credit from residency years is reviewed contextually. Deferred payment periods during training do not automatically create credit concerns.
Initial Consultation — A focused conversation about your role at Tampa General or USF Health, your compensation structure, student loan balances, and your target neighborhood and price range in Hillsborough County.
Program Selection — Ryan identifies the physician program — standard, Jumbo, or Construction — based on credential, loan amount, and income documentation.
Pre-approval — A fully underwritten pre-approval based on your employment contract and financial profile. In South Tampa's competitive Plant zone neighborhoods, this document is the starting point for every meaningful offer.
Property and Application — Once a property is under contract, the full application proceeds on the pre-approved framework. The pre-approval is not a starting point for underwriting — it is a near-final document with conditions tied to the specific property.
Underwriting and Close — Physician loan underwriting is efficient when documentation is properly prepared. Ryan coordinates to close on the timeline the purchase contract requires.
Yes. Residents who have matched and signed their Tampa General contract can qualify for a physician mortgage using that contract as income documentation — without waiting for a first paycheck, and without requiring that residency stipend income cover the full qualifying income for the purchase price. The physician program evaluates career trajectory. Many residents use the window between match day and program start to purchase a home in South Tampa or Westchase so they arrive already settled. Ryan structures these loans regularly for incoming Tampa General residents.
A $1.8 million purchase with 10% down requires a $1.62 million loan — firmly in the Physician Jumbo tier. Your attending compensation documented in your Tampa General contract qualifies from day one. Your student loan balance is treated at the IBR or documented payment amount rather than 1% of balance. No PMI applies regardless of down payment. Davis Islands is exactly the neighborhood where Physician Jumbo is the right tool — it is South Tampa's most prestigious address, and a physician at TGH's transplant institute purchasing there on a first attending contract, with medical school debt and contract income, needs this specific program to make it work.
This is one of the more interesting dual-eligibility situations. As an active duty physician, you hold both VA loan eligibility and physician loan eligibility simultaneously. VA loans offer zero down payment, no PMI, and competitive rates with income treatment under VA's residual income guidelines. Physician loans offer contract income flexibility, IBR student loan treatment, and no PMI, but require a down payment. For most active duty physicians at MacDill purchasing in South Tampa, the VA program's zero-down-payment benefit is compelling — and for purchases above the standard Jumbo range, VA Jumbo (with full entitlement) can eliminate the down payment entirely. The consultation conversation identifies which structure best fits your specific situation, service status, and purchase goals.
Ready to finance your Tampa home with a program designed for your career? Let’s talk through your situation.
Originally from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, I moved to Phoenix to attend Arizona State University and have proudly called Phoenix home ever since.
My journey into the mortgage industry began with a friend’s encouragement, who saw how my energy and people-first mindset could make a difference. He was right — I found my calling.
I’ve always embraced what makes me different. With ADHD as my secret weapon, I thrive in fast-paced, detail-heavy environments. I’ve built my career on clear communication, creative problem-solving, and putting clients first, always.
Outside of work, my greatest motivation is my wife and three amazing kids. I’d be honored to help guide you through your lending journey with care, clarity, and commitment.
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