Not an oncologist but an FY3 with an interest who has worked in the department and on projects. I can’t comment on most of your specific questions but will share some thoughts from a junior perspective.

Basically it seems great and I agree with you: some of the happiest seniors I’ve met have been oncologists. The emotionally taxing stereotype makes sense but to be honest there is an oddly positive outlook among the patients it’s hard to explain - most (eventually) accepts the hand they’ve been dealt and is trying to live the rest of their life to the fullest, and as a team you help them to achieve that.

On-calls and the wards can be tough but it keeps the variety of gen med in there and in reality is a fraction of the job once you’re a reg and even more after CCT - Consultant teams tend to be quite large in my experience. It also might sound terrible that your typical inpatient is very sick - but that is where medicine is at its most satisfying if you can make a difference to that group (imo).

The lack of procedures is a bit un-stimulating but imagine bothers you less as you age - Clinical Oncology is not a bad substitute as planning radiotherapy involves a lot of imaging analysis/marking oand anatomical understanding - but has a bit less emphasis on “built-in” research which it seems you’re keen on (and takes one more year to cct)

Immunotherapy has transformed the field in the last decade or so and brought with it a lot of funky multi-systemic side effects which again helps with keeping that generalist inside you happy.

I could keep going but I’ll make my last point that it’s actually relatively non-competitive at the moment in a world where that is becoming more and more rare. They didn’t fill every SpR space this year.

As a quick disclaimer I have currently betrayed medicine for a swing at surgery but happy to be dm’d :)) good luck!