Looking for insight pivoting in/through consulting

To be direct, I am considering a pivot into consulting because I currently do not find my career/job to be as mentally challenging as I need for personal fulfillment. I am a dentist that left surgery residency (for the same reasons, knew it wasn't the challenge I was seeking), and am now debating whether to pursue a more cerebral speciality or pivot entirely into consulting (perhaps in the healthcare/bio space) as opposed to pivoting through an MBA.

As the stereotypical image portrays, life in dentistry can be objectively great. Solid hours (40-50/wk), autonomy, some degree of challenge, and adequate compensation are all there. My bar for work/life balance is already pretty high because of the field I'm already in.

Is consulting, perhaps at MBB, as intellectually challenging as people make it out to be? Are exit opportunities worth the 2-3 years of constant travel and long hours, and do any exits come close to the work/life/compensation balance that dentistry can afford? I've always been enamored by the work and space of life science / healthcare VC as well.

Just hoping for real perspectives from those who have gone through it all - would love to hear your stories, your current w/l/c balance, etc!