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
- AAO invites members from across the country to join the platform and create profiles as advisors or learners.
- 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.).
- 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.
- Sessions are held at the scheduled time on the platform via live video (preferred) or phone chat.
Creating Your Learner Account
- Create Your Profile – Click “Sign Up” from https://connections.aaoinfo.org/ and complete the prompts to set up your profile.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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: [email protected]