NRMP Statement on Litigation

The NRMP has issued the following statement about pending litigation.

An antitrust lawsuit has been filed by three physicians individually and allegedly on behalf of a class of resident physicians against the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP), its five sponsoring organizations -- the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), the American Medical Association (AMA), the American Hospital Association (AHA), the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) and the Council of Medical Specialty Societies (CMSS) -- and the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), and 28 hospitals individually and allegedly as representatives of a class of all hospitals participating in the NRMP's resident matching programs.

The lawsuit alleges that the dissemination of information about residency programs by the AAMC and AMA and the accreditation standards of the ACGME and the ABMS are anticompetitive practices. It also challenges the NRMP's resident matching programs as anticompetitive practices and seeks both monetary and injunctive relief, presumably to disrupt the match, limit the dissemination of information on residency programs and alter the accreditation of residency programs.

The NRMP categorically denies that it illegally restrains trade or is engaged in any wrongdoing in the matching of prospective residents to residency programs.

The NRMP's resident matching program has been in existence since 1952. Although the lawsuit seeks to upset the NRMP's resident matching programs, the NRMP intends to operate the main match and all other matches this year and in future years as it has in the past.

As is customary, NRMP has retained a law firm -- Gardner, Carton & Douglas -- to defend it in this lawsuit. GCD has served as NRMP's counsel for many years, and NRMP has complete confidence that GCD will be successful in defending the resident matching programs in court. However, it is not likely that this litigation will be resolved quickly. Unfortunately, cases such as this often take many years to reach final decision even if, as in this case, the defendants are innocent of any wrongdoing.

Updated 05/30/2002