FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
WHY SHOULD I LIVE AT PHI RHO?
There are so many reasons to want to live at Phi Rho. First and foremost, the convenience of living at the house is unparalleled. It’s a less-than 5 minute walk to the medical school. Chef-prepared meals take the stress of cooking out of your life (although you are welcome to cook, if you so desire!). You don’t have to worry about cleaning the house, as we have cleaning service for all common areas. You have access to satellite TV, a gym, and tons of other amenities. But what makes living at Phi Rho so incredible is the rich community that you become initiated into. House members are close friends, confidants, study-buddies, share meals together, and help make med school that much better.
WHAT IS RENT AT PHI RHO?
For 2024-2025, the rent was $1000 per month. This includes room, board (10 chef-cooked meals per week + stocked kitchen), utilities, wi-fi, cleaning, and social events. This is an incredible deal for Ann Arbor, and especially for Kerrytown. Parking in our personal parking lot is an additional $35/month.
WHEN DO LEASES BEGIN?
Your lease will begin late July 2025 and will run till July 2026.
GOSH! HOW IS IT SO CHEAP?
Our chapter of the Phi Rho Sigma Society owns the house, so we are able to keep the rent at a price that is reasonable for med students to pay. Moreover, the house is considered a historical site, so we are exempt from property taxes, contributing to the affordability of living here.
WHAT ABOUT PARKING? IS IT GUARANTEED?
Parking is available based on a lottery-system for $35/month. Once you become a member of the house, you may be given the opportunity to select a parking spot in the lot behind our house, based on availability. If we are unable to offer you a spot, street parking permits in Kerrytown are available. We will work with you to come up with parking options - don’t worry!
ARE THE ROOMS SINGLES OR DOUBLES? HOW BIG ARE THEY?
All the rooms are singles. The smallest rooms are able to fit a full bed, dresser, and desk, and the larger rooms have considerably more space. Rooms are assigned according to a point system, which is based on the number of years you have lived in the house and any officer positions you have held.
WHAT KINDS OF MEALS DO WE GET?
Chef Brian prepares a hot lunch and dinner, Monday through Friday. The meals vary from day-to-day, and Chef is receptive to suggestions and food needs. All meals include a vegetarian option, gluten-free option, protein, fresh vegetables and fruit, and (sometimes) dessert. We also have endless household snacks that house members are welcome to enjoy. Snacks are ordered and stocked by our house manager, kitchen manager, and Chef Brian. You won’t have to worry about this!
WHAT AMENITIES DOES THE HOUSE HAVE?
Our amenities include wi-fi, various streaming service subscriptions, a TV/game room with Xfinity, a pool/ping pong table, a gym (including a full set of weights, bench press, treadmill, stationary bike, and a TV), a library (with every book you’ll need during medical school), washer/dryer, printer, and vacuum cleaner.
WHAT SOCIAL EVENTS DOES PHI RHO HOLD?
We hold two social events that are open to the entire medical school each year. Jelloween is our fun take on Halloween, and the Black and White Party is a formal event. Alcohol is present at these events and all guests are carded at the door. Outside of these two big events, our other social events are more intimate. These include Initiation Dinner, a Holiday Party/Gift Exchange, Senior Dinner, and football tailgates.
We want to stress that while our members enjoy social gatherings, on a given Friday, you’ll find as many people at Phi Rho “going out” as you will “staying in” to enjoy a movie, play games, or even studying! You are free to do as you wish, and there is no form of social pressure to engage in any of the events! This includes pressure to engage in drinking. We have many members who don't drink, but still enjoy quality phamily time!
WHAT DUTIES DOES A MEMBER OF PHI RHO HAVE? ARE THERE MEMBERSHIP REQUIREMENTS?
There are really three main duties that are part of living at Phi Rho. First, you have dish duty for one meal every week. This is pretty easy - everyone is always responsible for rinsing their own dishes, so you just have to run the dishwasher and put away the food. This takes about 45-60 minutes and is really no big deal! Next, you are expected to be present at monthly house meetings (1 hour, every month) where we will discuss the State of the House. Finally, you must be present at initiation dinner and pay membership dues for being part of Phi Rho Sigma (A One-Time $50 Fee). A final “duty” is to be an active member of the house, participate in organizing house events, and support fellow Phi Rho’s in all their endeavors--but this is less official :)
IS PHI RHO A “FRAT”? IS IT A PARTY HOUSE?
Phi Rho Sigma is a professional society, and the house compares more to a co-operative house than a “frat”. We don’t participate in hazing, we don’t have pledges, we don’t have a rush process. Really, we would describe Phi Rho as a living community, where you will be valued for who you are, and where you can live and learn with some really wonderful and interesting people. We are not a party house. People will occasionally use our common areas for small social gatherings, but there’s always some quiet space around the house where you can retreat to if you need to get some studying in. If you have any more concerns and would like to ask specific questions, please reach out to us!
WHO RUNS THE HOUSE? (I.E. BUYS THE FOOD, FIXES THE PLUMBING?)
Our executive board, made up of mainly M1s, runs the house. The Executive Board positions include President, Vice-President, House Manager, Kitchen Manager, Maintenance Manager, Social Chair and more. The roles are not time-intensive and can be managed well alongside med school fun!
THIS SOUNDS GREAT! HOW DO I APPLY?
The link to the 2025 application can be found here:
https://forms.gle/FKSn6uHSJtCAZuA47
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.
I’M REALLY INTERESTED IN LIVING AT PHI RHO! IS THERE ANYTHING I CAN DO TO MAKE MY APPLICATION MORE LIKELY TO BE SELECTED?
If Phi Rho is your #1 choice, let us know! We want house members who really want to live here, because those are the types of people who will add to the magic of our community. Just let your passion for the house shine through in our application or even send us an email and introduce yourself. In the application, be very specific about what you’ll bring to our house and tell us the story of who you are!
HOW CAN I LEARN MORE?
For more information, email our social and recruitment chair, Youssef Nagaty (nagaty@med.umich.edu) and he will help you out!