I spent my first 8 years in academics, and the past 15 in private practice. The money issue is the obvious one. In academics people still chase money, usually by getting lucrative relationships with drug companies (hardware companies generally aren't quite as rich and have less $ to spend on research infomercials).
One of the non-monetary aspects to consider is that you have no control over your professional life. Your vacation and call schedules will be determined by someone else, similar to the process you went through as a resident. And as with residency you will have dozens of "siblings", all sucking up to the parent figure (chairman) from whom all things flow. That is who determines whether you have your own office or share, whether you have lab days and how many, your salary, etc.
The upside is that you don't have to deal with billing, collections, rent, hiring and firing, etc. That is a big plus.
One other thing to consider is whether or not you have a "long arm". Can you stand there to the side and watch someone struggle through a procedure? Or are you a perfectionist who has to do it with the best possible effort every time? Will you be able to tolerate the fact that there will be a lot more wet taps, paresthesias, etc than if you did it yourself?
Teaching can be very rewarding and it keeps you sharp because you are always having to explain your thinking to someone else, but don't expect to get either rich or famous just by teaching.
