OrthoConnect Speed Dating
Break the Ice!
We are excited to announce the return of our OrthoConnect Speed Dating Event aimed at fostering long-lasting mentorship relationships within our vibrant community at the 2025 WOCON Annual Session.
We are seeking mentee participants. Why attend?
- Build Your Professional Network: Connect with experienced orthodontists who are passionate about career development.
- Fast-Track Friendships: Break the ice and meet other like-minded mentees who are seeking mentorship! Our structured speed dating event will ensure productive conversations to maximize your ability to finding valuable connections.
- Elevate Your Career: Whether you are starting your career or looking for some guidance, OrthoConnect Speed Dating is the perfect platform to explore opportunities, collaborations, and potential mentorship.
Event Details:
Date: Friday, October 17, 2025
Time: 10-11:30am
Venue: Hilton Hawaiian Village - Honolulu, HI
Mentee Expectations:
- Demonstrates a passion for orthodontics and your journey in the profession.
- Willing to openly discuss challenges and ask questions.
- Available to attend the OrthoConnect Speed Dating Event at WOCON2025.
- Appreciate and respect mentor's boundaries and time.
- Maintain regular communication (recommended minimum of monthly check-in) with my mentor for a year.
Each interested mentee will work to build connections organically with a potential mentor. Email and other contact information will be shared mutually between mentor and mentee. We hope our mentors and mentees will form an ongoing relationship of mutual respect and camaraderie. We recommend mentors and mentees discuss the following early in the relationship: establish communication expectations, identify goals for the mentorship, and outline skill areas to be enhanced or developed through this partnership.
The OrthoConnect mentorship event has allowed me to pass on hard-earned knowledge, refine my own skills through teaching, and help shape a small piece of the future of the profession. Mentorship strengthens the orthodontic field by promoting high standards of care, ethics, and innovation. It also provides personal fulfillment—seeing a new orthodontist grow in confidence and competence is a rewarding reminder of my own journey and impact on the next generation.
Dr. Lauren Manfred
Attending the OrthoConnect mentorship event was an incredibly rewarding experience. Connecting with younger orthodontists reminded me of my own journey, and having the opportunity to serve as a mentor was both humbling and inspiring. I saw so much of myself in my mentee — their questions, their passion, their drive — and it reaffirmed the importance of giving back and lifting up the next generation of our profession.
Dr. Sheldon Salins
I was excited to participate in OrthoConnect because it gave me the chance to connect with so many orthodontists, both new and experienced. After the event, I was paired with an orthodontist that practices close to where I live. I was able to shadow her and learn more about what it truly means to be a practice owner. I am very grateful for this event because it allowed me to connect with peers that are experiencing similar life events, both professionally and personally, as well as more experienced orthodontists that were able to share their experiences and perspectives.