While I was going through med school and residency, I thought that my life sucked. Then I hung out with my friend who graduated with me from undergrad, and he had started his own company (and failed, then started a second), was putting in just as many, if not more hours than me. I realized that sucky hours are not limited to medicine.
I've seen that time again with my patients - in pretty much any field you have to put in a ton of time initially in order to be successful later on. it just seems to be a price that most can't get around.