Mortgage advice that fits how doctors actually live.

Yes. Some Canadian lenders will qualify a resident or fellow on a signed employment offer or letter of employment rather than on current training income, so you do not need full attending income to be approved. The lender, the documents required and the timing all vary, which is why the file needs to be placed with a lender that runs this program rather than submitted to whoever is cheapest that week.

Not automatically, and any broker promising a special physician rate is overselling it. What does change is qualification: certain lenders apply higher debt service ratio limits to physicians and accept income verification that reflects how medical careers are actually paid. That usually affects how much you can borrow far more than a few basis points on the rate would.

Not on its own. Some lenders exclude deferred student loans from your debt service ratios, and others include a calculated payment even while the loan is deferred. Which lender you go to therefore changes what you qualify for. Professional student debt is common in these files and is handled routinely.

It depends entirely on the lender. Shift premiums, overtime and contract positions are often averaged down or discarded by lenders that do not understand healthcare pay structures, which lowers the income they will use. Lenders that do understand them will count that income properly when it is consistent and documented.

Often yes. Pre-approval strategies exist that account for an offer letter or LOE ahead of a move for a fellowship or a first attending role. The right approach depends on your start date, your contract and where you are buying, so it is worth a conversation before you make an offer.