Synaptic mechanisms for differential severity of social preference deficits in male and female mice induced by diminished activity-dependent BDNF.

Veterinary education is undergoing a profound transformation. The years following the COVID-19 pandemic have brought renewed attention to changes in classroom attendance, student engagement, digital learning habits, and the relationship between formal teaching and professional preparedness. At the same time, the demand for veterinary degrees and postgraduate training remains high, and the knowledge, skills, and ethical awareness required for veterinary practice continue to expand. Veterinary schools are therefore facing a dual challenge: maintaining rigorous scientific and clinical training while adapting their educational strategies to a context in which technology, social expectations, professional diversification, and student wellbeing are increasingly interdependent. This Research Topic was conceived to address this evolving landscape by bringing together studies, reviews, conceptual analyses, and practice-oriented contributions on the present and future of veterinary teaching. The articles included in this Research Topic reflect the diversity of contemporary veterinary education. They do not point to a single direction of change, but rather to a broader educational transition in which digital tools, artificial intelligence, simulation, competency-based assessment, student support, professional identity, social responsibility, and One Health perspectives are becoming central elements of training. Together, these contributions suggest that the future of veterinary teaching depends on more than the adoption of new technologies; it also depends on how institutions redesign learning environments, support students, evaluate competencies, respond to professional needs, and connect veterinary education with the broader challenges faced by society. Several contributions place veterinary education within a broad professional, institutional, and social framework. approach veterinary education from the perspective of veterinary talent competitiveness, proposing methods to evaluate the quantity, quality, distribution, and development of veterinary professionals. Their work highlights the importance of aligning veterinary education with workforce planning, regional development, and the needs of animal health systems. further extend this institutional perspective by proposing an objective formula-based model for ranking veterinary colleges, raising questions about transparency, comparability, and the criteria used to evaluate educational quality. examine the future plans of veterinary graduates in Germany, emphasizing the need for reliable data on career intentions and workforce development. broaden the educational scope beyond university-based teaching by assessing scientific buffalo husbandry training, illustrating how veterinary education also operates through extension, farmer training, and knowledge transfer in livestock systems. In a different but complementary direction, demonstrate how veterinary teams can contribute to pet-inclusive disaster preparedness, positioning veterinarians as trusted community actors with a role in public health and resilience.