Michaela & Brandon Keilen 5: She Goes By Michaela

[rebeccawriter01]

1 hour ago, Palimpsest said:

Actually, Michael didn't "go"  exactly.  She took mainly online classes at Roane State before and after she was married.  No sitting next to green haired people required.  But she also got her EMT credentials somewhere.  For that the presence of green haired people is very possible if not probable. http://archive.knoxnews.com/entertainment/pop-culture/bringing-up-bates-star-talks-about-show-married-life-in-chicago-2c750f56-0aab-4a35-e053-0100007fe336-370116301.html

Does anyone know where she is studying for her nursing degree.  I can't remember if she ever graduated from Roane State.   She was aiming for an AA in liberal arts with a minor in health science.  I'm assuming she is now aiming for an RN.  She could go back to Roane, because her minor in health science would transfer, but as a community college it only offers an Associate's degree in nursing.  She'd have to transfer to a 4 year college to get an RN BSN.

Good wishes to her and I hope she succeeds.  She's been interested in nursing for a long time.

I don't remember.  I don't think the Bateses ever spelled out the exact chronology.  We were surprised to find Michael was taking classes at an actual accredited college when the article I linked above came out after she was married.  

Fertility issues and disappointments aside, in some ways Michael and Brandon are the couple most likely to be disenchanted by IBLP even though Brandon worked there.  They must have seen the fall-out from the Fall of Gothard first-hand.  And the scramble to reorganise and rebrand.  

Niggling at the back of my brain is a notion that Brandon's brother RJ is completely out from under IBLP influence.  It could be that he is connected with Recovering Grace.  

Roane has a program that it calls a pre-healthcare associate of applied science. There are a few tracks on it that include nursing. It's a part of a transfer program that essentially allows students to complete their core and pre-requisites for the college where they plan to attend. This could be a part of the reasoning to go back to Tennessee to get her degree in Nursing, as nobody wants to keep taking the same courses over and over. 

If you look at the website, most of the classes are things like English, history, etc. However, there are a few science and math ones that are geared toward a career in healthcare. Some of her EMT stuff would transfer, including classes like anatomy. 

It is a good program for those who want to go into healthcare but aren't 100% ready to apply to something competitive. Michaela seems like a bright girl. However, since she was educated by Kelly and was essentially a guinea pig like Zach for that, I would bet it took her a little time to adjust to education that wasn't workbooks and Bible stories. 

[Bobology]

Do we know if Michael is going for RN or LPN (LVN in some states) because a 12-month program sounds a bit like LPN to me. Plenty of people with their BAs and BSs go for their LPN license so they can find work. Although not an RN, it is still a very nice job as far as pay and benefits, with lots of choices for different types of employment. Having an associate degree from online (or actual classes) is not a pre-requisite for LPN, but getting accepted is competitive and having such credentials could make it easier to get admitted to an LPN program.

It would be nice if she is in an RN program because it is a higher level of education and would be good for other stay-at-home-trained young women to see Michael accomplish that and then actually work.

[rebeccawriter01]

17 hours ago, Bobology said:

Do we know if Michael is going for RN or LPN (LVN in some states) because a 12-month program sounds a bit like LPN to me. Plenty of people with their BAs and BSs go for their LPN license so they can find work. Although not an RN, it is still a very nice job as far as pay and benefits, with lots of choices for different types of employment. Having an associate degree from online (or actual classes) is not a pre-requisite for LPN, but getting accepted is competitive and having such credentials could make it easier to get admitted to an LPN program.

It would be nice if she is in an RN program because it is a higher level of education and would be good for other stay-at-home-trained young women to see Michael accomplish that and then actually work.

If I am correct that she achieved her associate in a pre-nursing/pre-healthcare track, I think she is probably in an RN program. The pre-programs at Roane are part of the Tennessee Transfer Pathway program. The aim of those programs is to prepare students at the two year level to move onto and transfer to a four year college/university for a degree in nursing, etc. Depending on how many credits she earned from her EMT studies and how many prereqs she took at Roane, she could very well be one year away from earning her degree in nursing. This is just based on what I know of the programs in Tennessee where my family members have attended or are attending. 

LPN programs are great and a wonderful start to a career in nursing, but the job opportunities are a bit more limited. Many (not all) LPNs work in hospice or assisted living/nursing homes. If she is really wanting to work as a nurse for a doctor like Dr. Vick or in a pediatric setting, she would find having her RN much more beneficial. Given that she did all the prereqs and more with her EMT studies and her classes at Roane, I think most schools would push her toward an RN over an LPN. 

[Jigsaw3]

Didn't she say she was going to Pellissippi? Or was that someone on here?

In any case, Pellissippi offers a 12-month Bridge to RN program that it looks like Michael would qualify for, given her EMT and AAS certifications. Fingers crossed she's getting her RN.

[sunnyb1121]

9 hours ago, Jigsaw3 said:

Didn't she say she was going to Pellissippi? Or was that someone on here?

In any case, Pellissippi offers a 12-month Bridge to RN program that it looks like Michael would qualify for, given her EMT and AAS certifications. Fingers crossed she's getting her RN.

If she’s going there, she would need her EMT-P to do the bridge pathway and I don’t think  she’s a paramedic. 

[rebeccawriter01]

2 hours ago, sunnyb1121 said:

If she’s going there, she would need her EMT-P to do the bridge pathway and I don’t think  she’s a paramedic. 

She's not a paramedic. While she did complete her EMT program, paramedicine is tougher and takes much longer. It's also rougher (from my experience) and some of her religious indoctrination might conflict. 

But with the Transfer Pathway agreement through Roane's program she may have qualified for the bridge program at Pellissippi. It's very competitive and I don't know all the details, but it is possible that with her combo of EMT and the pre-program at Roane, she could qualify because the state rules for such a program say you are eligible to sit for the certification exams not that you have certification. Essentially, we don't know if she only took the core classes (math, bio, anatomy, English, etc.) or did she also take some of those intro courses.

Since she started in the fall rather than summer (bridge starts in summer or spring), I'm guessing she is in the traditional program. With her core and prerequisites complete, she probably has about a year of classes that way too. 

http://catalog.pstcc.edu/preview_program.php?catoid=11&poid=1415&returnto=651

In the conversation she had with Carlin at the basketball camp episode, she said because she had completed her degree in the healthcare track because of having her EMT. That indicates to me that she got transfer credit of some kind that probably works toward a nursing degree. It could be something like single anatomy course or even clinical credit for time volunteering/working. Who knows? 

[Bobology]

9 hours ago, rebeccawriter01 said:

While she did complete her EMT program, paramedicine is tougher and takes much longer. It's also rougher (from my experience) and some of her religious indoctrination might conflict. 

Yes! And even in EMT-B (Basic) they learn about priapism and have to practice performing a priapism sweep (over the clothing, of course, same as with a real patient) as part of the practical skills. My daughter's favorite memory from her EMT training was when a classmate slipped an empty soda bottle into his pants just before she evaluated him as a patient. FYI, it was not harassment and no one perceived it as such.

[rebeccawriter01]

34 minutes ago, Bobology said:

Yes! And even in EMT-B (Basic) they learn about priapism and have to practice performing a priapism sweep (over the clothing, of course, same as with a real patient) as part of the practical skills. My daughter's favorite memory from her EMT training was when a classmate slipped an empty soda bottle into his pants just before she evaluated him as a patient. FYI, it was not harassment and no one perceived it as such.

Yes, I used to do some work with those programs. In the TLC version of the show they showed her on an emergency call with Zach. He was geared up and working. She was back at the fire truck with her regular clothes. I have wondered how much she did and what was acceptable for women in her family. Erin has commented that Michael did that but none of the other girls have pursued it as of yet. That made me think it was all for show like Jana Duggar "studying" to be a doula so she could be an accountability partner for Jill. The moment Jill got married there was no more talk of doula Jana. 

Michaela does seem more driven though. They portray her as being all about kids, but she seemed very interested in the zoo she took the girls to and things like Medieval Times. Minor things but I like that she has a curiosity in her to learn unlike some of her siblings. Crappy beliefs, but I get the feeling she may have read a book. 

 

[theotherelise]

Michael has said she got her EMT-IV certification and completed “a degree in medical health sciences.” 

That EMT certification appears to have been phased out and if you didn’t do a bridge to the Advanced EMT, then you got down graded to the basic certification:

Roane State CC does not list a degree under that exact wording Michaela used, but there is an Associate in Applied Sciences in Health Sciences. Her specific program might have been reworked or she might be generalizing. Nursing/health options at Roane: https://www.roanestate.edu/?9095-Health-Sciences-Nursing-and-Medicine

I haven’t found any RN program that would just take her a year alone, but she seems to have been doing research and planning this step for awhile. Perhaps she got more transfer credit or perhaps Brandon’s 1 month down, 12 to go comment wasn’t meant the way it sounds or perhaps she’s doing an LPN right now.

[formergothardite]

9 hours ago, rebeccawriter01 said:

Michaela does seem more driven though. They portray her as being all about kids, but she seemed very interested in the zoo she took the girls to and things like Medieval Times. Minor things but I like that she has a curiosity in her to learn unlike some of her siblings. Crappy beliefs, but I get the feeling she may have read a book. 

Wasn't she the one who talked about reading encycopedias? I do think she is the brightest and most curious of all the Bates. 

[rebeccawriter01]

12 hours ago, theotherelise said:

Michael has said she got her EMT-IV certification and completed “a degree in medical health sciences.” 

That EMT certification appears to have been phased out and if you didn’t do a bridge to the Advanced EMT, then you got down graded to the basic certification:

Roane State CC does not list a degree under that exact wording Michaela used, but there is an Associate in Applied Sciences in Health Sciences. Her specific program might have been reworked or she might be generalizing. Nursing/health options at Roane: https://www.roanestate.edu/?9095-Health-Sciences-Nursing-and-Medicine

I haven’t found any RN program that would just take her a year alone, but she seems to have been doing research and planning this step for awhile. Perhaps she got more transfer credit or perhaps Brandon’s 1 month down, 12 to go comment wasn’t meant the way it sounds or perhaps she’s doing an LPN right now.

The show never really featured her going to school (even online) like it has some of the other adult kids. Tori, Katie, and Josie were all shown in class. Trace was shown talking about maybe going but never shown there. A news magazine report showed Nathan in class at Crown and then the show has featured his pilot training. Therefore, we don't really know other than a few things she has said about her education. 

It is possible that she took more than the required classes for her AAS or took exams to exempt some. But looking at Pellissippi's program (where she is rumored to be taking classes), she could conceivably finish the traditional RN program in three semesters if she took her core and prereqs at Roane. http://www.pstcc.edu/nursing/_files/pdf/traditional-degree-plan.pdf

The traditional plan has it at four semesters but also includes classes like English, Anatomy, Communication, etc. Roane (and other community colleges in Tennessee) have the transfer program. When you start you tell your advisor your intended school and major. They ensure you are taking the right classes to transfer and match the school you want to go to for nursing (or other programs). 

[Pretzel]

Michael answered in the comments section of the caramel apple post that she's in an LPN program and loving nursing school so far, also she's praying about continuing with the RN program. 

Glad for her that she is doing something productive and being a great role model for her siblings. Also happy for alls the kids Addie down to Jeb that they have their involved parent, err sister, back.

[irish_dancing_canadian]

I know Michaela appears to be the most fundie compared to her siblings but I have a soft spot for her. She is a great mom to her younger siblings (Okay well better than Kelly) and also spends a lot of quality time with her nieces and nephews. I am happy shes loving nursing school. She will be a great nurse due to her nuturing qualities. 

[DLA]

I wonder if her religious views never conflicts with her training? I don't live in the USA but I had to be pretty open minded when i went trough nursing school.

[Pretzel]

10 hours ago, DLA said:

I wonder if her religious views never conflicts with her training? I don't live in the USA but I had to be pretty open minded when i went trough nursing school.

Sometimes the individual fundie is underestimated. There's (young, teenage) Erin's green hair comment, or Gil's likening the rest of the world to wolves and everything many of the other fundies say and do, but those are often snippets from highly edited shows or blogs. We can't know what and how Michael feels about the rest of the world, but I'm sure that even among fundies there are people willing and able to keep an open mind about the world outside of their religious group.

Nursing school is hard and there are people from completely different backgrounds who might struggle with what nursing school asks of them here and there, but people also grow with their challenges. Michael's so far been able to step out of the SAHW comfort zone and cut her own path, with her motivation to serve people and the Lord she might be better equipped to do what she needs to do than many assume. 

[The Mother Dust]

Will she be required to pass any biochemistry/chemistry/statistics/higher level math classes on her way to an LPN? I wonder if her SOTDRT background will allow her to pass classes like that.   If she chooses to go on to an RN (which I hope she does) will she be required to pass those aforementioned classes?

[Pretzel]

1 hour ago, The Mother Dust said:

Will she be required to pass any biochemistry/chemistry/statistics/higher level math classes on her way to an LPN? I wonder if her SOTDRT background will allow her to pass classes like that.   If she chooses to go on to an RN (which I hope she does) will she be required to pass those aforementioned classes?

Not trying to defend the Bateses' SOTDRT, but in fact Kelly Jo was a chemistry lab assistant in college and actually tutored Gil in chemistry. That's how they met. I don't know whether either of them has actually finished their degrees. The science lessons at the Bates house might not have been too bad after all, though.

Edited October 19, 2019 by Pretzel

[SassyPants]

2 hours ago, The Mother Dust said:

Will she be required to pass any biochemistry/chemistry/statistics/higher level math classes on her way to an LPN? I wonder if her SOTDRT background will allow her to pass classes like that.   If she chooses to go on to an RN (which I hope she does) will she be required to pass those aforementioned classes?

In 1981 graduated with a BSN, and even then I took Biology, A/P, Microbio, Chem, OChem and Stats ( plus Pathophys., Nutrition, Pharm., yearly nursing classes and other non-nursing classes to graduate) I did not have to take Physics.

Edited October 19, 2019 by SassyPants

[Lgirlrocks]

Brandens children’s book came out today, or yesterday. I’m sure it’s loaded with lots of biblical stuff but if You just picked it up at the store and read the back you wouldn’t know.

[The Mother Dust]

6 hours ago, Pretzel said:

Not trying to defend the Bateses' SOTDRT, but in fact Kelly Jo was a chemistry lab assistant in college and actually tutored Gil in chemistry. That's how they met. I don't know whether either of them has actually finished their degrees. The science lessons at the Bates house might not have been too bad after all, though.

Thanks, I do recall reading she had some evil secular college experience, but I couldn't recall to what extent. I'm glad to hear she has those skills.  IMO it makes their whole "thing" even sadder though.

[JermajestyDuggar]

On 10/10/2019 at 6:55 AM, formergothardite said:

Wasn't she the one who talked about reading encycopedias? I do think she is the brightest and most curious of all the Bates. 

Erin was making fun of her at her “Bachelorette party” because Michael looked up “sex” in the encyclopedia when they were kids. I’ll be honest, I liked how Michael handled herself in that very embarrassing and public moment. She acted like it was no big deal while Erin was obviously trying to embarrass her. 

[nausicaa]

I remembered that clip and didn't recall Erin saying anything explicitly about anyone looking up sex.

The clip is still on YouTube but I'll summarize for anyone who doesn't want to give UP! views. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2uiAEv4Hdi0

Tori brings up at their wedding candle making session how she would be more nervous about the wedding night, and so Erin asks Michael if she is  more nervous about the wedding or after the wedding. Michael is a bit confused because she wasn't part of the earlier conversation and says she isn't nervous about anything. Erin says "She got this under control. she read the encyclopedia when she was a girl," and they all (including Michael) laugh. 

[Pretzel]

6 hours ago, nausicaa said:

I remembered that clip and didn't recall Erin saying anything explicitly about anyone looking up sex.

The clip is still on YouTube but I'll summarize for anyone who doesn't want to give UP! views. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2uiAEv4Hdi0

Tori brings up at their wedding candle making session how she would be more nervous about the wedding night, and so Erin asks Michael if she is  more nervous about the wedding or after the wedding. Michael is a bit confused because she wasn't part of the earlier conversation and says she isn't nervous about anything. Erin says "She got this under control. she read the encyclopedia when she was a girl," and they all (including Michael) laugh. 

Oh, the good ole candle making clip. I remember how it was discussed at length back when that season of BUB first aired. Some thought she came off as holier-than-thou in that she didn't even think about sex at all, but that's not what her reply seemed to be about. Michael just seemed so over her little sisters' pre-pubescent giggling and chatter and as if she just wasn't worrying about post-marriage intimacy at all. She seemed as if it hadn't crossed her mind that she should be scared or insecure about it, and by that had a more mature attitude about it than her younger siblings. 

Edited October 20, 2019 by Pretzel

[nausicaa]

1 hour ago, Pretzel said:

Oh, the good ole candle making clip. I remember how it was discussed at length back when that season of BUB first aired. Some thought she came off as holier-than-thou in that she didn't even think about sex at all, but that's not what her reply seemed to be about. 

I always just thought she seemed bewildered. ? She wasn't privy to the earlier conversation and so was wondering what all the fuss was about.

[moreorlessnu]

I thought that because she had courted for so long, waiting for Brandon to propose, she was more than ready to move into an adult relationship, complete with intimacy, as opposed to some really young fundies who find themselves married within months of agreeing to enter into a courtship.