Under the helm of its founding chairman (1992-2006), Dr. Francisco S. Gomez, an accredited ophthalmology residency training program was instituted and the department has since been providing comprehensive eye care. In 2012, in an effort to respond to the increasing patient volume and the growing demand for specialized ophthalmic care, the then chairman of the department, Dr. Emilio L. Macias III and the department officers, with the full support of QMMC administration, initiated the construction of the QMMC Eye Center - a facility with three major units: the Out-patient Clinic, Laser & Diagnostics Room and the Ambulatory Surgical Unit. This major milestone has enabled the provision of more comprehensive and more specialized eye care services. In partnership with the Odyssey Foundation, a library and a Learning Resource Unit that provided a venue for conferences was also inaugurated that same year. In 2013, the present chairman of the department and the training officer then, Dr. Joseph Manuel M. Cruz, initiated the international observership program. The aim of this program is for the senior residents to gain clinical exposure, to broaden their knowledge and to provide them with a global perspective. This has encouraged the residents to go into further subspecialty training and this has also opened opportunities for the graduates of the residency program to get into prestigious fellowship training programs locally and internationally. All of our alumni who further trained in their chosen subspecialties have returned to the fold as part of our expanding clinical faculty. In 2021, the department established its Vitreoretinal Fellowship Program; the faculty of which are internationally trained alumni in the field of surgical retina. In 2022, the department established the Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus Fellowship Program which aims to develop its trainees to become providers of the highest level of strabismus and pediatric eye care specifically suited for the underserved areas of the Philippines. Indeed, from our humble beginnings, the Quirino Memorial Medical Center Department of Ophthalmology has grown into a group of professional and dedicated staff providing accessible eye care. We continue to strive to have a training program that produces well-rounded, competent, and ethical ophthalmologists.
