My situation: current resident physician.

Graduated Medical School May 2012.
Current total debt: $125,000, w/outstanding interest (uncapitalized) $10,270.

Loan Breakdown (newest at top, oldest at bottom):
DIRECT Stafford Sub- $17,000         Servicer #1
DIRECT Stafford Unsub- $54,354     Servicer #1
Stafford Sub-  $8,500                 Servicer #1
Stafford Unsub- $18,836               Servicer #1
Stafford Sub-  $8,500                 Servicer #2
Stafford Unsub $14,350               Servicer #2

I have been in IBR since graduation on all of these loans (Residents get paid ~50k/year for working ~100/hr weeks. Yay.) I finish my residency June 2015. Afterwards, I start Fellowship, which will give me (at least) 3 more years of (a) working for a public institution, and (b) easily meeting the partial financial hardship requirements.

My question(s):

(1) It is my understanding that PSLF is only an option for my DIRECT loans, despite the fact that I have some additional Federal (non-direct) loans from that same servicer. Is this correct?

(2) Should I consolidate *everything* into one DIRECT loan? I do not have many incentives on my non-DIRECT loans (only a 1% interest rate reduction on the bottom two loans).

(3) If I do consolidate *all* my loans, it is my understanding that my 2-3 years (thus far) of being in IBR Qualifying payments (re:PSLF) for my current direct loans will be gone, and I will be starting anew with regard to making the 10-years of required payments for PSLF on my new, consolidated loan. Is this correct?

(4) Should I consolidate *only* my non-DIRECT loans into a new DIRECT loan? Is this even possible?

(5) It is my understanding that I am PAYE eligible. Furthermore, that my current DIRECT loans are not “capped” in my PSLF program forgiveness amount because of when I received them. If I consolidate *all* my loans, it is my understanding that my PSLF amount would now be capped ~$57k under the new law/revisions since the new, consolidated loan would have begun now. Is this correct?

(6) If I can consolidate *only* my non-direct loans into a new DIRECT loan, would the new PAYE cap only apply to the new consolidated loan? Or would my overall PSLF amount be summarily reduced despite my older DIRECT loans having not been consolidated.

Thank you all for your thoughts/advice.

—E