Fill in the blank with the correct word: Being a _____ doctor, he never shirks work. Choose the most appropriate option to complete the sentence.

Introduction / Context:
This is a vocabulary based fill in the blank question. The sentence describes a doctor who never shirks work, meaning he always does his duty faithfully. The word needed must match this meaning and grammatically fit between a and doctor. Such questions assess a learner's understanding of the nuances between similar looking words, especially those related to character and behaviour.

Given Data / Assumptions:
- Sentence: Being a _____ doctor, he never shirks work.
- Options: conscious, conscience, conscientious, consensus, considerate.
We assume that the sentence is praising the doctor's dedication to his duty and sense of responsibility.

Concept / Approach:
The clue is in the second half of the sentence: he never shirks work. This suggests that the doctor is careful, dutiful, and sincere about his responsibilities. The adjective that expresses this quality is conscientious, which means governed by a strong sense of duty and moral responsibility. The other options either do not function as adjectives in this position or have different meanings, so they cannot complete the sentence logically or grammatically.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Consider conscious. This adjective means aware or awake, as in conscious patient. It does not directly convey the idea of never shirking work. Step 2: Consider conscience. This is a noun meaning inner sense of right and wrong, not an adjective. Being a conscience doctor is grammatically wrong. Step 3: Consider conscientious. This adjective means careful to do what one ought to do, thorough, and diligent. Being a conscientious doctor fits the context perfectly. Step 4: Consider consensus. This is a noun meaning general agreement. It cannot be used before doctor in this way. Step 5: Consider considerate. This adjective means thoughtful of others feelings, which is positive but does not directly connect with never shirks work as clearly as conscientious does. Step 6: Therefore, conscientious is the only option that is both grammatically and semantically ideal.

Verification / Alternative check:
Substitute each option into the sentence for a quick check: Being a conscientious doctor, he never shirks work sounds natural and logically consistent. Being a conscious doctor, he never shirks work is possible but usually conscious is used of patients, not of professional dedication. Being a conscience doctor and Being a consensus doctor are clearly wrong. Being a considerate doctor, he never shirks work is somewhat plausible but focuses on kindness rather than diligence. Thus conscientious remains the strongest and most precise choice.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
- conscious: Means awake or aware, not necessarily hard working or dutiful, so it is less accurate.

- conscience: A noun, not an adjective, so it does not fit grammatically before doctor.
- consensus: A noun meaning general agreement, completely unrelated to personal work ethic.
- considerate: Describes thoughtfulness toward others, which is good but not the main idea of never shirks work.

Common Pitfalls:
Learners sometimes confuse conscience, conscious, and conscientious because they look and sound similar. Remember: conscience is the inner moral voice, conscious means awake or aware, and conscientious describes someone who follows their conscience carefully and works diligently. Keeping these distinct meanings in mind will help you choose the right word in exam questions.

Final Answer:
Correct option: conscientious.