Canadian researchers may have solved the looming physician shortage crisis — at least as it would apply to the administration of  surgical anesthesia.  According to an article in the Canadian Press, scientists at McGill University in Montreal have developed a software system that administers anesthesia during surgery.  Not possible you say?  According to the article, the system has been successfully tested and actually performed better than its human counterparts in some respects.  The researchers at McGill are quick to point out in the article that the machine will not replace human anesthesiologists but there are undoubtedly more than a few managed care and hospital executives rooting for this technology.