Ghosted? How student debt could quietly be undermining your recruitment strategy.

You know the feeling.

You’ve poured your time and energy into filling a position - juggling calendars, managing expectations, building real rapport. After all that, you finally find the physician who checks all the boxes. They’re excited. You’re excited. Everything seems to line up.

Then, just before the contract is signed… nothing. No reply. No explanation. Just gone.

It’s frustrating, and it’s happening more and more. The question is: why?

One factor that’s quietly shifting the recruiting landscape is student debt.

How debt impacts candidates

Right now, about 73% of physicians are graduating with medical school loans. For many, that debt doesn’t just shape their finances - it shapes their decisions. Especially early- career physicians. Even when an offer is strong, if they don’t fully understand how it supports their financial future, hesitation kicks in.

And who can blame them?

Compensation packages can be complicated. Benefits, incentives, loan forgiveness - it’s a lot to process, and often it’s not clear how it all fits together. That uncertainty can make a good offer feel risky. And when a candidate feels unsure, they keep looking. Or worse, they ghost.

A support system can help

Here’s where some systems are getting ahead: They’re offering candidates access to a student loan counseling company. Not as a financial perk, but as a support system - someone who can break down loan options, clarify repayment strategies, and help physicians make fully informed decisions.

Courtney Kennedy, assistant vice president of provider development for Virtua Health, put it this way: "Working with [a student loan counseling company] is easy and they’re always there when you need them. They explain things to me and I don’t have to pretend like I know all of the details. They make it easy for providers and make it easy for physician recruiters, and that’s all I could ask for."

It’s not about promising to pay off loans - it’s about showing candidates how your offer supports their long- term financial wellness. And sometimes, that can be more valuable than a signing bonus.

Here’s some additional proof:

Tina Stover, WVU Medicine: "Our physicians were desperately in need of loan repayment assistance, and we didn’t have deep enough pockets to help them. This has been a great solution for us to be able to provide them with a resource."

Soumya Kolar, Ardent Health Services, New Jersey: "The service… is something every market needs to be aware of. Loan counseling is not a luxury, it’s a necessity."

Let’s face it - student loans are causing real stress. They affect career satisfaction, delay major life milestones, and can cloud even the most exciting job opportunities.

If there’s a way to remove that burden - without reworking your entire compensation model - it’s worth exploring.

Want to learn more about what a student loan counseling partnership could look like? Visit navigatestudentloans.com.