Two Separate Eligibility Tests, Constantly Confused
Program and regulatory figures verified October 9, 2026. Details change; confirm your scenario with us.
The lender's test and the Department of Health's test have nothing to do with each other, and only one of them is published.
★★ Two tests, not one
| Test | Set by | What it asks |
|---|---|---|
| Physician mortgage | the lender | is your credential on the current programme's list, and does the file support the loan |
| MLARP | MD Department of Health | is your credential in the published table, and will you serve at an approved practice site |
★ A specialist can be excellent for a physician mortgage and outside MLARP's approved-site requirement. A CRNA can be squarely inside MLARP at $100,000 and still need to ask whether the mortgage programme takes the credential. The two tests are unrelated.
The published table
| Credential | Full-time | Part-time | Obligation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physician (MD, DO) | $100,000 | $50,000 | 2 years |
| Final Year Medical Resident | $100,000 | $50,000 | 3 years |
| Physician Assistant | $100,000 | $50,000 | 2 years |
| ★★ APRN. CRNP, CNM, CRNA, CNS | $100,000 | $50,000 | 2 years |
| RN, LPN | $50,000 | $25,000 | 2 years |
| Nursing Support Staff | $5,000 | $2,500 | 1 year |
★ Part-time is 20 to 39 hours; the Department's wording for full-time varies between >40 and 40 or more across its own document. At least 80% of work hours must be direct patient care, and on-call time does not count. Capped at two (2) obligations per lifetime. Why the APRN row is the finding.
★ Why no list for the mortgage
Because it is a portfolio product and the accepted credential set belongs to the lender. A list published in October is a liability by March.
We have seen other sites publish confident degree lists that went stale. A physician who reads one and concludes they are ineligible does not call, and that is a worse outcome than asking. So: send the credential, the start date and the contract.
Dentists
Physician mortgage programmes commonly extend past MD and DO, and dentists are usually in scope for the mortgage. MLARP's published table is a separate question. The dentist page.
How to get a real answer
One call and three documents: credential, executed contract, student loan statements. Mike Certo, NMLS #260555. (480) 296-6513 · mcerto@cfmtg.com.
Frequently asked questions
Which professions qualify for a physician mortgage?
That is a lender term that changes between programmes and over time, so this site publishes no fixed list. Physician mortgage programmes commonly extend beyond MD and DO, often including dentists. Send your credential and start date for a current answer.Which credentials does Maryland's loan repayment programme cover?
Physicians holding an MD or DO, final-year medical residents, physician assistants and advanced practice registered nurses including CRNPs, CNMs, CRNAs and CNSs at up to $100,000 full-time; registered and licensed practical nurses at up to $50,000; and nursing support staff at up to $5,000.Does qualifying for MLARP mean I qualify for a physician mortgage?
No. They are unrelated tests. MLARP eligibility is set by the Maryland Department of Health and turns on your credential and service at an approved practice site. Mortgage eligibility is the lender's determination on your documents and your file.What counts as full-time for MLARP?
The guidelines are inconsistent: the summary footnote says more than forty hours, while the eligibility sections and glossary say forty or more, or at least forty, with at least eighty percent of work hours in direct patient care. Part-time is twenty to thirty-nine hours. Awards are capped at two service obligations per lifetime, and on-call time does not count toward practice hours.Mike Certo · NMLS #260555 · Cornerstone First Mortgage NMLS #173855 · Equal Housing Lender. Educational content about physician mortgage financing, not a loan commitment and not legal, tax or financial advice. The Maryland Loan Repayment Programs are administered by the Maryland Department of Health, not by Cornerstone; their terms, award amounts and application cycles are set by that department and change. Md. Code, Tax-Property §13-203 is quoted so you can take it to your own attorney and title company; whether a particular buyer qualifies as a first-time Maryland home buyer is established by a statement signed under oath, not by a lender. Figures here carry the date we verified them against primary sources. Physician-loan program terms, eligible degrees and overlays are set by the lender and change. All loans are subject to borrower, property and program qualification.