I've been a nurse for 18+ years and took an online medical transcription course. My dream was to work from home also....
As with anything else one places time, money and dreams into, one must really do some good research and ask those who actually do the job, like these folks on this thread.
I chose the wrong online school, first off. By wrong, I mean the companies that hire usually only consider graduates of a few top online schools....if you went to one that wasn't as reputable and established, you kissed your time and money good-bye.
I didn't research internet capabilities in my area and just what companies require~my school should have explained this simple fact: Most companies will not hire you unless you can get broadband or cable internet. They find dial-up and satellite too unreliable when sending and receiving data streams. I can only get dial-up in my area.
Unless I moved and went back to a reputable school, my money and time had been wasted.
You need experience working in an office setting doing medical transcription before they will hire you to work from home. This is not always true but enough to make it too difficult to find a good job. If you do not live near any hospital or clinic that does their own, in-house transcription, you can, again, kiss your time and money spent on training online good-bye.
All in all, for me at least, it was a big ol' mistake that will take me some time to get over....I owe money for schooling, I took off a year of work to go through the course at an accelerated rate...lost that year of income.
I was fast, I know my medical terminology down cold from being a nurse and a massage therapist, I was willing to put in the long hours, had bought all the equipment and medical spell check software, etc.
I bombed, big time.
Listen to these gals...please. There are other ways of making money at home that involve less money, time and heartbreak.