About GSSA GSSA at UCSF GSSA Leadership GSSA Partners

About GSSA

The Global Surgery Student Alliance (GSSA) is the national student-run global surgery working group for the U.S., affiliated with InciSioN (the International Student Surgical Network), with the mission of educating, inspiring, and uniting students through engagement and mentorship in global surgery, anesthesia, and ob/gyn. We believe that students are a valuable resource for the advancement of global surgery. Unifying in our efforts will facilitate collaboration and further global surgery efforts, both now and in the future. By exposing students to the field early on, we hope to help them build their surgical careers with global surgery in mind. Ultimately, many students are willing and able to make significant contributions to global surgery, and we hope to be a resource that facilitates those efforts.

GSSA at UCSF

Our Mission

To connect UCSF medical students to global surgery opportunities, foster a robust global surgery community spanning all levels of training, and work towards sustainable, equitable, and accessible surgical, obstetric, and anesthesia care worldwide.

Our Goals

Create awareness about and to advocate for global surgery
Educate students about global surgery and sustainable interventions
Advance research in global surgery through student involvement
Connect students who are interested in global surgery across the country and world
Facilitate communication and mentorship between students and current global surgeons, OB/Gyns, and anesthesiologists.
Foster the development of the next generation of global surgeons, OB/Gyns, and anesthesiologists

Contact Us

Join the UCSF GSSA listserv.

GSSA Leadership

GSSA is a student-run global surgery working group. Get to know the talented GSSA leadership team.

Eric Kim

President

Bio

Eric Kim is a fourth-year medical student and president of the GSSA chapter at the UCSF. He is interested in global surgery, otolaryngology, immigrant and refugee health, and medical education.

Avery Thompson

Vice Chair, Elective Coordination

Bio

Avery Thompson is a fourth-year medical student at UCSF and co-chair of GSSA with a focus on the elective speaker series. She is originally from Portland, Oregon and enjoys discovering new hiking spots and coffee shops around the Bay Area. She is interested in all things General Surgery and is excited to combine her passion for global health with a career in academic surgery.

Omid Boozarpour

Vice Chair, Outreach

Bio

Omid Boozarpour is a 3rd-year at UCSF currently on clinical rotations. Before coming to UCSF he was a scrub tech for the Surgical Training Facility at UCSF where he got to see the impact of international courses led by groups like the Institute for Global Orthopaedics and Traumatology. He also worked at the UCSF Center for Digital Health Innovation where he saw how technology can be leveraged to enhance medical systems and facilitate knowledge sharing. Since starting medical school he’s worked on a number of projects across education, technology, and global surgery, including a web-based QI curriculum for global health practitioners. When he has free time he likes to get outside and enjoys rock climbing, trail running, and napping in the sun.

Ruth Laverde

Elective Coordinator

Bio

A proud Peruvian raised in Miami, Ruth Laverde is a 4th-year medical student on a research year at UCSF. During undergrad she volunteered as a Patient Navigator at a local free clinic in downtown Miami while working as a learning assistant at FIU. She decided to attend UCSF after spending a weekend exploring The Mission neighborhood and being reminded about her childhood and family. During her time at UCSF, she's volunteered in the Latinx community in various capacities and through local organizations focused on empowering youth. She is passionate about medical Spanish education, provider-patient language concordance, and above all serving the Latinx community. In her spare time she likes to weight lift, play video games and listen to global health podcasts.

Feyisayo Ojute

Outreach Coordinator

Bio

Feyisayo Ojute is a third year medical student at UCSF interested in plastic surgery and global surgery. She is interested in mindfulness in surgery, as well as diversifying the face of surgery and increasing access to global surgery resources for black and brown individuals.