Educating physician assistant students on identifying victims of human trafficking in the healthcare setting Purpose Slavery may seem a thing of the past but chances are modern day slavery, or human trafficking, is happening in your own backyard. The International Labor Organization estimates there are 20.9 million victims of human trafficking globally, including the United States, and is a $150 billion dollar industry. [1] Statistics in the United States are likely to be a gross underestimate due to the hidden nature of this crime within local communities. Victims have diverse socio-economic backgrounds, varied levels of education, and may be a documented or undocumented U.S. citizen, but what is common is there vulnerability. Historically, the majority of trafficked victims (approximately 80%) have been forced into sexual exploitation however other forms of forced labor include construction, agriculture, catering, food packaging, restaurants, hotel industry, nail salons, massage parlors (commercial-front brothels), and domestic servitude. [2,3] There is evidence that nearly 90% of victims of human trafficking come into contact with a health care provider during their captivity and exploitation, but too often these encounters represent missed opportunities for victim identification and assistance. [4] Description An exhaustive literature search was conducted exploring the question: 'How knowledgeable is the medical community about human trafficking?' A gap in the literature was revealed. There has been little to no systematic evaluation of medical professionals, nor students, regarding knowledge of how to identify human trafficking victims in the healthcare setting. The objective of this educational project is to equip physician assistant students with the knowledge of human trafficking and further be able to identify potential victims. An education module was implemented into the didactic curriculum and included an interactive lecture-based format. Education material highlighted vulnerable populations to human trafficking, 'red flags' on presentation, associated healthcare outcomes, and obstacles to a victim's disclosure. Participants in this project included 90 physician assistant students who were given a brief pre- and post-survey to evaluate their knowledge on human trafficking. Participation was voluntary and anonymous. Data was collected and immediately analyzed. Results Of the 90 physician assistant students, 43% respondents ag...