OT: Med School
I'm a Ph.D. but have contributed to med school admissions and have been heavily involved in residency and fellowship admissions and training. I've heard all the lines of bs by applicants and have had multiple conversations with fellows and residents on the brink. I didn't train as an MD but arguably PhD training is as long with less certain career prospects, so in that regard I think I have a relevant view on the length of training and the value it offers.
I think the paperwork concern is something you should shelve. No job is going to be without it, and I agree with a previous poster who noted that electronic systems are establishing and evolving.
Regarding training and the length: there is a very strong trend towards niche specialization at the more prominent academic centers. As such, this can be a long training and involves multiple fellowship years and likely some research component. It can certainly be long hours, so it is important to be intellectually interested in it. The best way to do that is to enter medical training with an open mind towards all specialties and see which one you actually practically enjoy. I've seen many enter with the intention of being a cardiologist or whatnot and struggle as they force themselves into a field they're not enjoying.
I think it is also worth having a view of what type of area you'd like to live in. In larger cities, opportunities lie more in teaching hospitals and private practices where they'll expect you to have a fellowship record preferably from a "prestigious" location. Some trainees even do 2 fellowships. However, if you and/or your significant other have always dreamed of returning to your childhood city of 100K people, you won't need to do 5 years of fellowship to be an expert in small, specific populations.
The extra work is worth it provided you have a final goal (work and home lifestyle / location) in mind. IMO avoiding paperwork shouldn't factor into that decision.
