Empty barns, overcrowded clinics: restoring balance in veterinary education priorities

Nihad Fejzić; Muhamed Smajlović; Marko Samardžija; Marko Pećin; Ksenija Vlahović; Breda Jakovac Strajn; Andrej Kirbiš; Dean Jankuloski; Lazo Pendovski; Milorad Mirilović; Sabina Šerić-Haračić

doi:10.18485/meattech.2025.66.3.2

Nihad Fejzić University of Sarajevo – Veterinary faculty, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3310-6835
Muhamed Smajlović University of Sarajevo – Veterinary faculty, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3455-1647
Marko Samardžija Veterinary Faculty of the University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0402-3173
Marko Pećin Veterinary Faculty of the University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1186-4774
Ksenija Vlahović Veterinary Faculty of the University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia https://orcid.org/0009-0000-8810-7803
Breda Jakovac Strajn Veterinary Faculty of the University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3539-7813
Andrej Kirbiš Veterinary Faculty of the University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2734-2222
Dean Jankuloski University Ss. Cyril and Methodius, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Skopje, Republic of North Macedonia https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7448-6021
Lazo Pendovski University Ss. Cyril and Methodius, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Skopje, Republic of North Macedonia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2593-1683
Milorad Mirilović Faculty of Veterinary Medicine University of Belgrade, Serbia https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2771-7514
Sabina Šerić-Haračić University of Sarajevo – Veterinary faculty, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9102-3467

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18485/meattech.2025.66.3.2

Keywords: Veterinary education, One Health, Accreditation standards

Abstract

The veterinary profession in Southeast Europe faces a structural imbalance: while companion-animal medicine dominates employment opportunities and student preferences, food-animal health, public health, and One Health functions are increasingly under-resourced. This study examines veterinary education establishments (VEEs) from Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, and North Macedonia to assess how international standards (WOAH Day-1 Competencies; EAEVE/ESEVT) and market forces shape veterinary education. Although VEEs already achieved or tend to accomplish and maintain compliance with accreditation requirements and update curricula to meet EU standards, implementation often reflects student demand and clinical caseloads rather than regional epidemiological or food security needs. Our findings highlight the need for VEEs to rebalance curricula by embedding WOAH’s competencies alongside EAEVE’s standards, strengthening extramural learning in food-animal and public-health contexts, and developing joint regional strategies such as shared electives, micro-credentials, and mobility programs. Without such proactive measures, veterinary education risks reinforcing market-driven specialization at the expense of essential societal roles. These lessons extend beyond Southeast Europe, offering a framework for aligning veterinary education globally with both professional demand and public-good imperatives.