Say, did I just do that?

I guess if I was the resident, I would try to get the medical student to do jobs I probably don't want to do; rectal exam, urinary cathethers, rectal tube, that sort if thing, just to justify the "education" bit of my job description.

And there's the gullible medical student, eager to explore new terrains, broaden new horizons (and definitely also to ensure the grade in the course), waiting to jump on anything to do with "surgery", including body part amputation, not realizing that "minor procedures" meant all of the above minus the body part amputation.

So it was my turn to insert the humble Naso Gastric Tube, or NGT for short. As the name implies, it goes from the nose into your stomach at one end and at the other end, it gets hooked up to a mini vacuum cleaner. It's purpose is humbling; it empties your stomach contents and prevents it from blowing up like a balloon so vomit won't projectile itself out of your mouth. Especially useful if, for some reason, there is a blockage in your plumbing that doesn't allow you to pass feces from your rectum.

I get my tools out; a set of gloves, some K-Y Jelly (oh yeah, more uses than one) and grasp the tube in my hand. The Peruvian resident is on the side for moral support as he tries to explain the concept of how to place an NGT in his spanishsized English.

"One smooth movement," he says. "Don't stop."
And so revved up, I go, like a banshee out of hell, stuffing this thin plastic tube down the nose of my spanish speaking patient who's having abdominal distention and pain.
"Traga! Traga!" I said.
"Very good, very good." The Peruvian says.
"Ahhhh!" says the patient.
And I am in! I am close to elated when I hear:
"And remember to clamp...."

Yellow vomit spills all over the resident's face and down the front of his doctor's coat.

"...the end of the tube." The Peruvian says, ten seconds too late.

Opps, I said, did I do that? Well, there you go for having the inexperienced handle anything to do with bodily excrements.