Quebec physicians reported working fewer hours (44.3) than the national average (47.0). Physicians in Atlantic Canada had the longest work weeks (49.6 hours). This relationship held when comparing both GP/FPs and specialists by region.
Female physicians still devote fewer hours per week than males to almost all professional activities; in 1995 there was a 16% difference (7.6 hours). Why? One reason may be found in the 1993 survey, in which female physicians reported spending twice as many hours maintaining the household as males and over 4 times as many hours on child care. The 1993 survey showed no marked difference in the total workload of male and female physicians with no children at home.
Census surveys were undertaken in 1982 (34 876 respondents), 1986 (32 542) and 1990 (32 088); sample surveys were conducted in 1993 (3310 respondents) and 1995 (3566 respondents).