Best Medical Practice Loans and How to Get One
Medical practice loans can be used to start, manage, upgrade or expand a health care business.
Medical practice loans are designed for physicians and other health care professionals to finance medical, dental, vision care and veterinary practices. You can get one of these small-business loans
Below, compare the best medical business loans and learn more about how to get one.
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Max loan amount
$5,000,000
Min. credit score
650
Min. annual revenue
Undisclosed
See Your Loan Options with Fundera by NerdWallet
Pros
- Large borrowing maximums.
- Interest rates are capped.
- Long repayment terms available.
Cons
- Collateral is typically required.
- Longer processing times than online lenders.
SBA 7(a) loan
Best for SBA loans for medical practices
Max loan amount
$5,000,000
Min. credit score
650
Min. annual revenue
Undisclosed
with Fundera by NerdWallet
Pros
- Large borrowing maximums.
- Interest rates are capped.
- Long repayment terms available.
Cons
- Collateral is typically required.
- Longer processing times than online lenders.
Pros
- Can fund startup practices; interest-only and graduated payment structures available for startups.
- Fee discounts for veterans and endorsed medical group members.
- Dedicated project managers assigned to project-based loans.
Cons
- Loan terms, interest rates and qualification requirements not available online.
- Must call to learn more about financing options and how to apply.
- Cannot make loan payments online.
Bank of America - Health care practice loan
Best for Bank medical practice loans
Max loan amount
$5,000,000
Min. credit score
Undisclosed
Min. annual revenue
Undisclosed
Pros
- Can fund startup practices; interest-only and graduated payment structures available for startups.
- Fee discounts for veterans and endorsed medical group members.
- Dedicated project managers assigned to project-based loans.
Cons
- Loan terms, interest rates and qualification requirements not available online.
- Must call to learn more about financing options and how to apply.
- Cannot make loan payments online.
Max loan amount
$500,000
Min. credit score
660
Min. annual revenue
$50,000
with Fundera by NerdWallet
Pros
- Cash can be available within two business days.
- Competitive rates among online lenders.
- Terms up to five years.
- iBusiness Funding also offers SBA loans up to $5 million.
Cons
- Charges an origination fee.
- Must be in business for a minimum of 24 months.
- Minimum credit score is higher than some other lenders.
iBusiness Funding - Online term loan
Best for Fast funding
Max loan amount
$500,000
Min. credit score
660
Min. annual revenue
$50,000
with Fundera by NerdWallet
Pros
- Cash can be available within two business days.
- Competitive rates among online lenders.
- Terms up to five years.
- iBusiness Funding also offers SBA loans up to $5 million.
Cons
- Charges an origination fee.
- Must be in business for a minimum of 24 months.
- Minimum credit score is higher than some other lenders.
Max loan amount
$1,500,000
Min. credit score
570
Min. annual revenue
$240,000
with Fundera by NerdWallet
Pros
- Cash can be available quickly.
- Get a discount for prepaying.
- No collateral required.
- Low minimum credit score requirement.
Cons
- Charges a factor rate that makes it more difficult to compare costs with other lenders.
- Can’t build business credit.
- Longest loan term is 18 months.
- Charges an origination fee.
Fora Financial - Online term loan
Best for Bad credit
Max loan amount
$1,500,000
Min. credit score
570
Min. annual revenue
$240,000
with Fundera by NerdWallet
Pros
- Cash can be available quickly.
- Get a discount for prepaying.
- No collateral required.
- Low minimum credit score requirement.
Cons
- Charges a factor rate that makes it more difficult to compare costs with other lenders.
- Can’t build business credit.
- Longest loan term is 18 months.
- Charges an origination fee.
Max loan amount
$500,000
Min. credit score
600
Min. annual revenue
$250,000
with Fundera by NerdWallet
Pros
- Funding in as little as 24 hours.
- Prepayment discounts available.
- Offers loans to startups and borrowers with bad credit.
- No collateral or down payment required.
Cons
- Charges a factor rate that makes it more difficult to compare costs with other lenders.
- Short-term loans require daily or weekly repayment.
- Requires higher annual revenue than other online lenders.
- Misleading website marketing: National Funding offers only short-term loans and equipment financing/leasing.
- Charges an origination fee.
National Funding - Online term loan
Best for Startups
Max loan amount
$500,000
Min. credit score
600
Min. annual revenue
$250,000
with Fundera by NerdWallet
Pros
- Funding in as little as 24 hours.
- Prepayment discounts available.
- Offers loans to startups and borrowers with bad credit.
- No collateral or down payment required.
Cons
- Charges a factor rate that makes it more difficult to compare costs with other lenders.
- Short-term loans require daily or weekly repayment.
- Requires higher annual revenue than other online lenders.
- Misleading website marketing: National Funding offers only short-term loans and equipment financing/leasing.
- Charges an origination fee.
Max loan amount
$250,000
Min. credit score
580
Min. annual revenue
$150,000
with Fundera by NerdWallet
Pros
- Can fund within one to two business days.
- No prepayment penalty.
- Flexible repayment options: monthly, quarterly, annually or semiannually.
Cons
- Charges an origination fee.
Triton Capital - Equipment financing
Best for Equipment financing
Max loan amount
$250,000
Min. credit score
580
Min. annual revenue
$150,000
with Fundera by NerdWallet
Pros
- Can fund within one to two business days.
- No prepayment penalty.
- Flexible repayment options: monthly, quarterly, annually or semiannually.
Cons
- Charges an origination fee.
Jump to
What are medical practice loans?
Medical practice loans refer to loans that health care professionals (e.g. doctors, dentists, optometrists, veterinarians
- Start a new practice.
- Merge with or acquire another practice.
- Expand, update or relocate a practice.
- Purchase medical equipment, vehicles and supplies.
- Cover operational costs.
- Pay for advertising and marketing initiatives.
- Refinance or
consolidate existing debt
Where to get medical practice loans
Medical practice loans are available from banks, SBA lenders and online lenders.
Banks
Medical business loans from a traditional bank will typically offer the lowest interest rates
Although you may be able to use a standard business bank loan to finance your medical practice, some banks, such as Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Citibank, TD Bank and U.S. Bank, offer specialized loan programs for health care professionals. These loans can be used for a variety of purposes, offer long repayment terms and large loan amounts
These dedicated programs may also offer additional benefits, such as:
- Fee discounts if you belong to an association that endorses the lender.
- Support programs to assist with practice management.
- Dedicated project managers.
- Fee discounts for additional banking products.
- Loan prepayment waivers.
- Interest-only payment options.
Banks don’t often provide many details about these programs online. You’ll likely need to contact the bank directly or visit a branch location for more information about applying for a loan.
SBA lenders
Like bank loans, U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) loans offer competitive interest rates and long repayment terms. These loans are partially guaranteed by the SBA and issued by participating lenders, typically banks and credit unions.
Both SBA 7(a) loans SBA 504 loans
To qualify for an SBA loan
» MORE: Compare the best SBA lenders
Online lenders
Compared to bank and SBA loans, online lenders can offer faster access to funds. These lenders leverage technology to expedite the underwriting process.
In addition, online lenders usually have flexible qualification requirements — and may work with startups or borrowers with bad credit
🤓
If you’re looking to buy equipment for your medical practice, start your search with specialized Nerdy Tip
How to get medical practice loans
To get a business loan for your medical practice, follow these steps:
1. Evaluate your financing needs
Consider which type of medical business loan is best for your needs. If you need working capital, for example, a business line of credit commercial real estate loan
You should also consider how much financing you need and how much debt you can afford. A business loan calculator
2. Review your qualifications
Most lenders will consider factors like personal credit score, annual revenue and time in business when underwriting your loan application. They may also look at your cash flow, available collateral
By reviewing business loan requirements
3. Research and compare lenders
In general, the best medical practice loan for your business will be the one that offers the lowest rates and most ideal terms. Your decision, however, may also be influenced by the funding process and timeline.
You should research multiple small-business lenders
- Loan types.
- Maximum loan amounts.
- Repayment terms and schedule.
- Interest rates.
- Funding speed.
- Application process.
- Lender reputation.
If you’re looking at specialized programs for medical practice loans, you should also consider any unique discounts or features the lender offers.
4. Gather documentation and submit your application
The application process will vary based on your lender and loan type. Banks and SBA lenders will often require extensive documentation, whereas online lenders may not require as much paperwork.
In either case, however, you may need to provide:
- Basic information about you and any other business owners.
- Professional and business licenses and certificates.
- Personal and business bank statements.
- Personal and business tax returns.
- Business financial statements.
- A description of collateral.
5. Review your loan agreement and get funds
When you apply for a bank or SBA loan, it may take anywhere from several days to several weeks to receive approval. Online lenders, on the other hand, may provide approvals as quickly as the same day.
Once you’ve received approval, your lender will send you a business loan agreement
After you’ve signed the agreement, the lender will transfer the funds to your business bank account.
Next steps:
- If you can qualify for a bank loan: Compare the
best banks for business loans - If you need fast funding or can’t qualify for traditional options: Explore the best
online business loan options - If you’re a startup or have bad credit: Consider
microlenders - If you don’t want to take on debt: Learn more about alternative funding types, such as
small-business grants equity financing
Methodology
NerdWallet’s review process evaluates and rates small-business loan products from traditional banks and online lenders. We collect over 30 data points on each lender using company websites and public documents. We may also go through a lender’s initial application flow and reach out to company representatives. NerdWallet writers and editors conduct a full fact check and update annually, but also make updates throughout the year as necessary.
Our star ratings award points to lenders that offer small-business friendly features, including:
- Transparency of rates and terms.
- Flexible payment options.
- Fast funding times.
- Accessible customer service.
- Reporting of payments to business credit bureaus.
- Responsible lending practices.
We weigh these factors based on our assessment of which are the most important to small-business owners and how meaningfully they impact borrowers’ experiences.
NerdWallet does not receive compensation for our star ratings. Read more about our ratings methodology for small-business loans editorial guidelines