Lots of stay at home moms want to work from home. It’s a wonderful way to keep contributing financially while being there for your kids. How do you know if medical transcription is a good choice for you?

The first question is if you’ll be able to afford the training. You can’t just land a job as a medical transcriptionist without it. Companies can’t afford to waste time training you from scratch. There’s too much information you need to know before you get started, such as anatomy, common procedures, terminology, drugs, how to research unfamiliar terminology and of course how to transcribe and format reports.

Training is pricey. You can expect to pay $1800 or more, sometimes significantly more, depending on the program you choose. Don’t choose a program that costs too much less, as not all schools offer the quality training you need in order to work.

You also need to think how you will work transcription into your routine. How easy or difficult that will be depends on the routine you have now and the ages of your kids.

If you’re wanting to work because they’re all going to school and you’d like to earn some income during the day, you already know when you’re going to work. You’re pretty much in good shape.

If you have an infant or toddler who needs a lot of attention, it’s going to be more difficult. You’re either going to need to commit to working hard during naps and after the kids are in bed or you’re going to have to look at some childcare. That childcare may just be your husband, but you’re going to need a good commitment that you won’t always be called upon by a child needing you.

If you’re homeschooling it can also be challenging, but you’re probably used to working with a good routine. It can even be a good example to your kids, although they should not be allowed to watch you work. Private information, after all.

You will also need to honestly assess your skills. Are you ready to work as a transcriptionist? How are your typing skills? How’s your vocabulary? Are you really willing to dedicate the time needed to learn transcription and to work when you get a job?

The beautiful part is that once you’re working, you can probably set your own schedule. You have to plan it out as employers need to know what your plans are, but you aren’t stuck with a schedule that doesn’t work with your routine. If you need to tweak it as time goes by, most employers will let you.

Look at studying at home as practice for working at home. The conditions are much the same. Using your training as practice work time can really help you to figure out the scheduling that will work for you.