My long reply:
I think I am also a romantic, and I think I understand where you are coming from. From an idealistic and supernatural point of view, the idea of celibacy - of dedicating your being wholly to a particular pious/apostolic path, can actually be romantic. It sure was for me, especially in the beginning.
I was called to be a numerary member of Opus Dei back when I was 18, though the years before I also had the crisis of “burning with lust”. I had to show first stabilizing in holy purity before being admitted. But after living the celibate comittment for 6 years (while doing my university studies in hard science) I left that vocation. It was a bad way for me to leave because I grew lukewarm - not caring for the daily prayers and devotions and so forth - and in this weakness (and stress from studies perhaps and various other things), I felt lonely, and finally I fell in love with a girl. I caused scandal in the sense that I tried to secretly date the girl even as a numerary, before I eventually just decided to leave and pursue the girl openly.
Eventually I saw my mistake, and tried to reconcile with Our Lord, and broke up with the girl (like you we were, naturally, burning with Lust). It was very very painful. I would really suggest you follow a path where you don’t break a woman’s heart, because it is one of the worst things a romantic and religious guy can do (to women you must seem to be a decent person and attractive).
Burning with Lust is true for most people with fallen nature, it is how you are able to manage this passion and channel it that matters. All that passion can be fuel for you to be energetic in so many other activities that engage you in generosity, service, and so forth. And it is discerning within that spirit of prayer, service and generosity where perhaps you would find your apostolic/priestly vocation clearer, if indeed you have one.
In Opus Dei, there are only a handful of celibate (numerary) vocations actually - most of the members (supernumeraries) are those who are called to marry or are open to marriage. Being a supernumerary member of Opus Dei does not disallow you from discovering a further vocation to celibacy and even priesthood, if you have not married yet, and if such is discerned by you and your spiritual director. So despite previous comments on the contrary, and in spite of the fact that you find Escriva and Opus Dei spirituality excellent (what I understood), it could be that you would be happy to participate in Opus Dei activities with an eye towards a supernumerary vocation.
The thing is, I believe young people nowadays take more time to discover themselves, so I would advise against having to rush.
It could be that you do your medical studies, discover a vocation to Opus Dei as a supernumerary, discover a further vocation to become a numerary, discover a further vocation to the priesthood. (That as only a strict possibility, it should be clear that the supernumerary vocation in Opus Dei is a vocation you discern towards marriage or possible future marriage). In that way, your medical studies would not have been “wasted” per se - all priests of Opus Dei have experienced professional life and have obtained secular university degrees, before they entered the seminary - and this lay /professional background actually helps them in their ministry as pastors of lay people following a lay spirituality and apostolate. So in that sense the professional studies did not just “go to waste”. FYI, the second prelate of Opus Dei had a doctorate degree in engineering, beside theology, and he ended up becoming a bishop, and one of the first priests of Opus Dei was first a doctor before entering the seminary and becoming a priest.
Note that if you are called to marriage you still have to fulfill the role of spiritual fatherhood to your children and soul-partner to your wife - which are not the same as priesthood, but can also be “romantic” in the supernatural sense.
And if you are called to marriage you will still have to manage your lust. Celibacy requires, out of love for Jesus, keeping guard of ones senses, and heart, so as to protect it from “falling in love” with a woman (where I failed, for example). But marriage also requires similar guards, so that you preserve your heart for your wife and conserve your love first to your family. So either way, you will need to face your lust, manage it, and hopefully overcame the habit of lust.
In summary if you are romantic, have a desire to study a secular university degree, have a desire to play a “priestly” or perhaps apostolic role to those around you, but also seek/romanticize about a hypothetical future spiritual companionship with a woman soul-mate, why not consider a marriage companionship with such a soul-mate, possibly as a supernumerary of Opus Dei.
You can PM me if you have further questions about Opus Dei, though note that I am not a current member, just an ex member and current fan.
