The lawsuit claims that, by requiring students and trainees to apply for employment through the Veterinary Internship & Residency Matching Program (VIRMP), the defendants can effectively control how, when, and under what conditions the plaintiffs can work.
Two former veterinary interns have filed a lawsuit alleging a broad conspiracy among professional associations, universities, and animal hospitals to suppress wages and competition for veterinary internships and residencies.
According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, or AVMA, the lawsuit was filed on behalf of plaintiffs Riley Amore and Caroline Parker. It names defendants including, but not limited to, the following:
- The American Association of Veterinary Clinicians (AAVC)
- The Animal Medical Center in New York City
- MedVet Associates
- Solution Innovations
- The Tufts University Cumings School of Veterinary Medicine
- The University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine
Attorneys for the two former veterinary interns are seeking class action certification.
The lawsuit claims that, by requiring students and trainees to apply for employment through the Veterinary Internship & Residency Matching Program (VIRMP), the defendants can effectively control how, when, and under what conditions the plaintiffs can work.
Some of the purportedly objectionable rules include a stipulation that requires applicants to accept employment at their top-ranked match. Barring few exceptions, applicants cannot transfer between programs without first obtaining a written release.
If the lawsuit is certified as a class action, it could represent all eligible U.S. citizens who worked as veterinary residents or interns after April 2, 2021, and obtained their position through VIRMP.
In court documents, Amore and Parker allege that the defendants “collectively designed and agreed to participate in scheme that intentionally suppresses competition by forcing all such [interns and residents] to apply for employment through [VIRMP].”
The lawsuit notes that, as of 2024, internship stipends averaged about $57,000 nationwide, which is scarcely half of the $106,963 starting salary earned by graduates who secured full-time employment.
Since interns typically have little to no leverage in salary negotiations, applicants with student debt are often dissuaded from furthering their education.
“For most graduates with federal student loan debt, interest will continue to accrue while they pursue this education,” the lawsuit states. “In deciding whether to choose an internship, it is important to weigh the value of the experience an internship brings against the cost, especially for those with high debt.”
“Interns are offered salaries less than half the national average earned by new graduates; however, there is a notable range of salaries within those offered,” it says. “Finally, salaries are influenced by numerous things including location, practice area, and whether the position is offered by an academic institution or private practice.”
The American Veterinary Medical Association notes that an attorney for the AAVC responded to the lawsuit by saying that its claims “could [not] be further from the truth.”
The plaintiffs are seeking class action certification and a jury trial.
Sources
Veterinary interns, residents allege suppressed wages in antitrust lawsuit
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