Hi Hannah,
I don't want to give you advice one way or the other, rather I'd like to provide some of my experiences. When I began to read your post about the hours, the money, the commitment, I thought about my *short* time in law school. Six whole weeks. Although the law is interesting intellectually, I realized once I got started at school that I did not like doing what a lawyer does day in and day out. I was bored with the curriculum and constantly worried about the costs, the high loan payments I would have to make, AND the big firm job I would have to take (and despise) in order to pay off my loans. In the end, I decided that I truly was not happy and that law was not for me. So, I left.
What I learned from that experience was that I needed to look at what I would actually be doing once I got out and was in the working world. Would I like it and would I get up every morning excited to go to work? Also, my constant worrying about finances indicated to me that I knew I would not be happy with the degree and path I had started. If I had truly loved the law and the prospect of being a lawyer, the money would not have mattered at all.
From law school, I took 2.5 years off before applying to med school. In that time, I was a health care consultant and an human subjects/IRB/ethics committee administrator (i.e., paper pusher) at a large university. In the consulting job, I routinely worked 60+ hour weeks. Some weeks were closer to 90 hours. For the most part, the work was challenging and exciting. From working these hours, I learned that you have to REALLY LOVE your job to work so hard. When you get to work at 7AM, go home at 3AM, only to return at 5AM for another full day, you have to love it and thrive off of the work. In contrast, when I worked at the university, I was bored stiff 40 hours a week. I had time to do other things and loads of free time, but I hated the work. I could not drag myself out of bed in the morning to go to work. Obviously, from this, I learned that I am a person who would rather have a lot of intellectual stimulation, even if it means more hours at work.
The final thing I would say is this: you don't have to know exactly what you want to do (whether in medicine or pharmacy), but you should be able to identify what is most important to you (i.e., the all-important "soul searching" mentioned by others). Once you know generally what you want, start directing yourself toward it. Every thing else will work out in the end.
I think a problem we all encounter and stuggle with is the idea that one action on our part will dictate all future actions and directions. This is not so. Do what you love, be true to your feelings, and the rest will work itself out perfectly. In other words, don't worry about future husbands and potential kids, loan payments, etc. If you receive an M.D., you can always work part-time or work in another sector (consulting, etc) that does not require the same time commitments.
And, with respect to Albany, that too will work itself out -- if you want it to. If you really love what you are learning, the environment won't matter that much. Four years is not as long as it seems. You'll be surrounded by interesting, engaging people who will make it fun, even if it's not what you had envisioned.
Sorry for such a long-winded (and sappy at times) response, but I don't think I could have done this justice with less info. I wish you the best of luck on which ever path you take. Always remember that you can change your mind down the road and that it's your life to lead as you wish. Good luck!
-- Becky