Portland's fundamentals are very solid for the long term so I wouldn't just ignore the market you're already in.

Both my girlfriend and I have significant debt from school and haven't held a job in years, but will both be eligible for "physician loans," which offer competitive rates with 0% down and usually don't require anything more than proof of contract with a residency program.

Exemption from realized gain on QOF investment held at least 10 years Gain on subsequent appreciation is eligible for permanent exclusion if QOF investment is held at least 10 yearsUnlike retirement, you don’t have  I wait until Forever. 

Fundamentals don't really change. 

Investment property isn’t eligible for deductions and is taxed at 2% compared to 1%.

Take a step with pre-approval so you know your eligibility.

Do not drift away from the fundamentals of analyzing your acquisition; be it commercial or residential. 

,There are still plenty of great deals to be had, you need to be in a solid market based on fundamentals vs speculation at this stage in the cycle.

My advantages that I know of are my ability to get a mortgage (W-2 income, credit, and debt ratio are all good), having enough cash and house equity to get a 25% down non-occupied loan on a SFH or duplex (in my market), willingness to sell and move to house hack a 3-4 unit, understanding the fundamentals and math of small residential REI, love of learning "systems", and being a complete badass at life in general ;)My disadvantages that I know of are that I don't have experience yet in buying/managing rentals, and I haven't met enough other investors to learn about a lot of deals early in the pipeline.What would you do in my situation?

They don't want money, they want time with a mentor and want to meet business minded people with goals that fundamentally align.