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AAO connections

Learner Guide.

The mission of AAO Connections is to support and facilitate professional relationships between members across the country. Using the network, members have the unique opportunity to connect directly with advisors, learning from their knowledge and experience.

How it Works

  1. AAO invites members from across the country to join the platform and create profiles as advisors or learners.
  2. Using the platform, learners schedule sessions with advisors by filtering through the network of advisors based on their knowledge areas of interest (i.e. career and practice transitions, clinical, practice management, etc.) and topics they’d like to discuss about orthodontics (i.e. career exploration, diagnosis and treatment planning, business and strategic planning, etc.).
  3. Confirmation emails are sent to both the learner and advisor with session date and time, a link to the session, and a connection test to ensure audio/visual is set up properly for the session.
  4. Sessions are held at the scheduled time on the platform via live video (preferred) or phone chat.

Creating Your Learner Account

  1. Create Your Profile – Click “Sign Up” from https://connections.aaoinfo.org/ and complete the prompts to set up your profile.
  2. Book a Session – Browse the list of advisors, filtering by knowledge areas and conversation topics you are interested in. Click “Book Now” on the advisor’s profile page, located in the upper right corner to schedule a session.
  3. Have a Conversation – Once you have booked a session, you will receive an email confirming your session, with date and time and a link (or phone number) that will take you into the session.
  4. Sessions are held at the scheduled time on the platform via live video (preferred) or phone chat.

Example Subjects and Topics

  • Career & Practice Transitions
  • Practice Management
  • Career Exploration
  • Diagnosis & Treatment Planning

Setting your Goal

When first creating your profile, you will be asked to write a goal. You can be as detailed or general as you would like, but the purpose of the goal is meant to capture what it is you are hoping to accomplish and advice you are seeking on AAO Connections. It can be whatever you want it to be: finding a job, learning more about a specific career path, etc. This goal will be visible on your profile page and when you book a session with an advisor, they will receive your goal in an email before your scheduled session. You can change your goal at any time.

Preparing for your First Session

Preparing for your first conversation is an important step to having a successful session. Think about what it is you would like to accomplish and get out of the conversation. It will help to have a specific goal in mind for the session, perhaps write it down beforehand along with a few questions that you can ask about the advisor, their background and specific position or experiences. Take a few minutes to read the advisor’s bio or LinkedIn profile so that you can ask them thoughtful questions. You can also use the messaging button in the session confirmation email to contact your advisor before the session, providing them with additional background, your CV/resume, etc.

If you have any questions, please contact us at: AAOconnections[email protected]

Frequently Asked Questions

AAO Connections is available to members who have an interest in learning more about career pathways and opportunities. 

  • Members (a.k.a., learners) using AAO Connections are given “credits” to sign up for sessions with network advisors. They can browse by name, or filter by knowledge areas or topic. During the onboarding process, advisors select from this same list of topics to determine in what areas they would like to advise learners. After selecting an advisor, learners sign up for a session using the calendar function displaying available times on the advisor’s profile. A confirmation email is sent to both the learner and advisor with session date and time, and the link to enter the session (you can also enter the session via your profile page). The sessions take place on the platform or over the phone.

Contact [email protected] with the issue details and time and date of your session. 95% of the time, technical problems can be solved by restarting your browser. If you experience technical issues during the session try the following:

  • Use Google Chrome if you are not
  • Restart your web browser
  • Check to see microphone and camera are allowed to be used (you can access this menu by clicking the video icon that appears in the address bar when you’re in the session.
  • Always test your connection prior to your session to make sure everything is working properly. This will ensure a much smoother coaching session! A connection test link is sent in the confirmation email when a session is scheduled.
  • If all else fails, restart your computer and try to access the session again.

Credits are fixed upon your invitation to the network. One credit expires every three months so be sure to use them! At times, AAO may add credits to your account to support additional conversations with advisors.

Use the “Message” button in the session email you get after booking to let the advisor know that you need to reschedule. Suggest a few new times that you are available. You can then use the “Reschedule” button in the same email to set a new time once confirmed with your advisor.