How long would $38,000 a year take to cover a return of service repayment?
It depends on your own repayment figure. At $38,000 a year, which is about $3,200 a month before tax, an illustrative $204,000 repayment takes about 65 months, and a $104,000 repayment about 33.
Researched by Button Health. Last checked .
Every number on this page is a worked example. The rules come from ministry sources. The $38,000 figure is Button Health’s own, shown so you can check the arithmetic and replace it with any other figure.
The assumptions
| Input | Value used | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Profit share | $38,000 a year | Button Health posting: up to $38,000 a year, scaled to days worked |
| Repayment formula | Cost per year x years + $4,000 | Ministry guidelines |
| Cost per year | $50,000, $100,000 or $150,000 | Illustrations only. The guidelines and ministry page give no figure |
| Years of training | 2 | Family medicine residency |
| Tax and interest | Not deducted | Yours to add. Both lengthen the result |
Months to cover a repayment
$38,000 a year is about $3,167 a month.
| Cost per year | Illustrative repayment | Months at $3,167 a month |
|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $104,000 | 32.8 |
| $100,000 | $204,000 | 64.4 |
| $150,000 | $304,000 | 96.0 |
These are ceilings on speed, because they put the whole amount toward the repayment before tax. The calculator does the same division for the figure on your own notice.
Interest
The guidelines allow a one-time payment within 30 days or a plan with the Ministry of Finance, with compound interest in some circumstances at a rate they do not state. See how repayment works. The table above leaves interest out.
What to compare it against
The repayment is one side of the decision. The other side is what your alternative pays and costs. Compare:
| Serve in an eligible community | Repay, if that is available to you, and practise elsewhere | |
|---|---|---|
| Repayment | None if completed | Ministry figure, with interest if it applies |
| Income | Your offer there | Your offer here |
| Travel | Your commute | Your commute |
| Time until free of the obligation | 7,200 hours for 2026 signers | Depends on the ministry and your plan |
Serving the commitment is a legitimate option, and for many physicians it will be the better one.
Before you act on any of this
Get your real repayment figure and terms from the ministry. Ask whether repayment is available in your situation, since the guidelines do not say it can simply be chosen. Talk to your own accountant and lawyer about the tax treatment of repayment and the contract.
Confirm how this applies to your agreement with the Ministry of Health.
Common questions
Does this mean I can pay off return of service in about five years?
Only on these assumptions. The months shown are before tax and interest, and assume the whole amount goes to repayment. The real figure also depends on the ministry amount on your notice.
Where does the $38,000 figure come from?
It is the annual profit share in the Button Health Family Physician posting: “Builds by about $3,200 a month, up to $38,000 a year, scaled to days worked.” Another clinic will have different figures.
Does repaying mean I can work anywhere?
Confirm this with the ministry and your own lawyer. The guidelines describe repayment on breach and as an option under extenuating circumstances, and do not state whether anyone can elect repayment without them.
Related questions
- How much does it cost to buy out return of service in Ontario?
- How do you pay back return of service in Ontario?
- What would practising at Button Health look like?
Sources
- Ontario Ministry of Health, IMG ROS Program Guidelines (dated October 2025, posted at a December 2, 2025 URL)
- Ontario, Health human resources (updated November 2, 2026)
The offer
Family physician, Bay and College, Toronto.
Compensation
Fee-for-service Family Health Group (FHG), applying for FHO+ next year.
Overhead: 0% for your first one and a half OHIP billing cycles. Then 20% of your OHIP billings (plus HST) at four or more clinical days a week or $30,000 a month in billings. Below that, 25%.
Estimated earnings: $32,000 to $43,000 a month in billings. $25,000 to $35,000 a month after overhead, from OHIP and private fees.
Attachment bonus: OHIP pays you $100 to $120 for each patient you attach who has no family doctor.
Profit share: Builds by about $3,200 a month, up to $38,000 a year, scaled to days worked. Paid by the clinic in June and December, no overhead. Can go toward your annual HOOPP pension contribution.
Paid leave: six weeks a year, building from your first day. A locum sees your patients while you’re away, so nothing piles up.
Professional allowance: up to $5,000 a year for CME, dues and licensing.
Gym membership: paid by the clinic.
About this research
Button Health researched these rules directly from ministry, regulator and other primary sources, and links each one so you can read it yourself. Button Health is a family practice at Bay and College in Toronto that recruits family physicians, so we have an interest in this topic.
This page is general information, not legal or financial advice. Rules change, and your agreement is what binds you.