Dr. Josh Lotoczky is an Associate Professor at the Michigan College of Optometry, where he runs the Adopt A Patient SM program with his 3rd and 4th year students. The CooperVision sponsored program provides optometry students with hands-on fitting experience while providing complimentary contact lenses for those who need it most in the local communities of participating optometry schools. “The beauty of the program,” Dr. Lotoczky recently said, “is that it educates young optometry students on both the clinical side of the business and the human side as well.” Dr. Lotoczky has been participating in the Adopt A Patient SM program at the Michigan College of Optometry for 3 years and has seen approximately 70 patients come through the program.
“Besides the increased educational value this program adds to my students’ clinical experience, it touches patients in ways that can change their lives forever. I know that sounds too good to be true but allow me to share with you what an Adopt A Patient SM participant’s mother told me when she returned to our office with her son. We had fit her daughter a few months back. She was a very high hyperope who was having a lot of trouble in school. Other kids teased her about her "coke bottle glasses" on a daily basis. She resorted to breaking her frames in an effort to avoid the ridicule of these other kids. As you can imagine, her grades were suffering and she was on the brink of dropping out of school.
After receiving her CooperVison lenses, her grades improved to A's and B's and she made new friendships. I can tell you first hand that I saw a difference in her as well. The quiet, shy girl of a few months back was replaced by a talkative confident young woman. This is probably the best example I can think of but it doesn't mean that our other cases don't help people in need to an equal degree.
Thank you for providing this wonderful program for our patients in need.”
- Josh Lotoczky, O.D., Associate Professor, Michigan College of Optometry
For more information on the Adopt A Patient SM program, please click here. If you’re an optometry student or professor and are interested in bringing the Adopt A Patient SM program to your school, please email Mark Andre at mandre@coopervision.com.