So I know Vanderbilt screens applicants before sending them a secondary and an interview ... for MD. How does this work for MSTP? Is receiving a secondary application from them good news for me?
That means they review your application before sending you to the next step of the application process. A few schools review your primary (AMCAS) application before requesting a secondary application. Many people refer to this as "pre-secondary screening" or just screening.
Most schools do not review your primary before inviting you to complete a secondary. Both are required for pre-interview screening. The reason for this is mostly financial, considering each secondary costs about $100 and many do not include extra essays. The secondaries that do include essays are often very similar to the primary essays.
So I know Vanderbilt screens applicants before sending them a secondary and an interview ... for MD. How does this work for MSTP? Is receiving a secondary application from them good news for me?
Not necessarily - I got a secondary last year and did not get an interview (but I don't know whether or not the MSTP screens). I also waited until literally the night it was due to write the essay... it was my last application to finish. And New Years Eve. I probably wrote the worst autobiography ever.
So don't let that get you down! Do the best that you can as quickly as possible - good luck!