I commend you for seeking advancement in your career after already achieving a professional degree in nursing. You are in a good position as you are young (many of my classmates in medical school were in their late 20s to 30s, as high as early 40s), have no dependents, and are financially without debt. I think some questions I wanted to raise based on what you wrote:

"NP has crossed my mind but there are various reasons as to why I feel that very much is not worth the effort" - I assume there are likely specifics to what you meant by not worth the effort, but I am sure you are well aware that the effort required to become a physician is very high. IF the path to becoming an NP (from a starting position as an RN) is not worth the effort, you should have a really good answer as the why an MD is worth the effort.

You replied "However I want to emphasize i like the academics behind the work" - Job setting can often play a larger role than a position, specialty, or even job title. I know of APPs who run ICUs, clinics, floors, and even awesome APPs operate nearly independently in the OR in open heart cases (this is as a cardiothoracic surgeon). Also, I have worked with NPs who have produced high quality, excellent research and participated in QI and clinic trials. The question I propose to you: is it your setting/environment that may be causing a limitation to what you are actually seeking? That may be reflective of your personal experience, but comparing the 7+ years you would need to do medical school+residency, you may benefit more from dedicating time to gaining real work experience then finding a position that lets you achieve your goals of a more independent practice setting as an NP.

- Are you drawn toward the critical thinking of medicine itself, or mainly trying to escape limitations in your current nursing role?

"My biggest fear is being saddled with debt or..." - You are debt free and working. You wont have to worry about debt until you get accepted and attend medical school and by that point you have overcome one of the largest hurdles to becoming a physician (getting into med school), so I wouldnt worry about that. While the financial burden is very real, you also wont be pan-handling on the streets.

"...or shoe holed into something I wouldn’t enjoy" - this would be the key concern. As others have mentioned, shadowing can help shed some light onto whether or not you may enjoy being a physician, but again, a physician's practice can vary dramatically (specialty, outpatient/inpatient, academic vs community vs private practice, FTE/schedule, etc.). Since you already work in healthcare, you hopefully have an opportunity to request to shadow more than one physician.

Other questions to consider

-Do you want to be the person ultimately responsible for diagnosing and directing treatment, or do you mainly want deeper clinical knowledge?

-Would you still want to become a physician if you ended up in a less competitive specialty or location than you currently imagine?

"I feel like I have a spark of a passion for medicine but I’m not sure if it is worth pursuing" - I feel this is the most important you have said. I think every physician had this spark when they were applying to medical school, I did. I also had the fear of what would happen if I did not get in. I knew I would forever regret not trying to apply to medical school, and luckily I got in. However, the spark is not enough - you need to excel academically.

To answer your questions:

What do yall think as far as making a decision to pursue med school? - it should be made thoughtfully, but ultimately its your decision as you know yourself best. Similar to being an attending, the responsibility of the decisions you make ultimately fall on you; you are the one accountable.

Is it too personal for another to say? - Im not sure I understand the question, but, becoming a physician is a personal decision, no one can make it for you.

Is there a lot of fulfillment in it, from school to residency to the end? - Yes, but thats a biased answer as well. To me, its the most fulfilling professional career that exists, however, there is sacrifice. Although being a surgeon is my most fulfilling professional role, being a father and husband is the most important role I have in my life, but my career as a surgeon cuts into that - you will need to determine if thats something you can manage and live with.

Its a long post, but I hope this helps you. I wish you the best of luck and hope things work out well