With regards to the flight pay, think that you have got it all correct.
The medical, photos and all that gubbings if i remember correctly should be done once the offer has been made. Excuse my knowledge, but its been quite some time since i did mine. sure there are some ek crew out there who will put me right if i'm wrong!
Finally from Grade 2 to Grade 1 varies in time. At present you can look forward to an upgrade anywhere between 16 and 18 months although with new aircraft arriving, this could change.
See you in Dubai.