Am I behind in life? 27F
I wanted to share about my life and am hoping to get some advice. I'm 27 and a third year medical student and I have just been reflecting on my 20s. I am completing my medical rotations in a small town in the south. I have a year and a half until I start residency and I have no idea where I will be living then (it's all dependent on which hospital decides to take me). I haven't had a real romantic relationship in my life. My parents were strict growing up and I only really got some freedom at 24 when I started medical school. I was diagnosed with bipolar 1 when I was 21 and it's been a journey getting on and off meds and gaining and losing weight since then. The first guy I slept was a handsome doctor at our hospital and he pretty much only saw me for sex and even reached out to one of my friends right after I lost my virginity to him. It took me a long time to get over him and I am ashamed that I still kept seeing him and sleeping with him. I think I alienated all my friends and all I could talk about was him. After I ended things with him, I failed my first board exam twice because I had been so obsessed with him that I didn't pay enough attention in school. I had a manic episode after my second failure and was put on meds and gained 40 lbs. I hooked up with two men when I was studying to take my exam and when I tried to talk to them after, they told me they only could see my for sex and nothing more. I passed on my third try but I am finally stable and am working towards losing the weight without getting off my meds (I always quit taking my meds before this because they made me gain a lot of weight but I am sticking to taking them this time and don't plan on getting off). I am slowly rebuilding my life in this small town and passing my exams for each rotation. I am not seeing anybody and there is no-one available here for me to date. I am working towards passing my second board exam in June 2026. But I can't help but feel like I wasted my 20s. My beauty and youth is gone and I am not going to look better than I did in my early 20s and even then the men I liked only wanted me for sex. Even after two years, I have no idea where I will start residency.
Posted Nov 1, 2025, 11:55 PM UTC