@WayOutWestMom can comment further, but I believe it’s not easier to get into medical school from Tennessee vs Alabama. Medical schools really don’t use the name of your undergrad institution in the admissions process (disclaimer that med schools like Harvard do take more of their own undergrads) but we aren’t talking about Harvard here).
The best medical school is the one you get accepted to. And it doesn’t have to be a top ranked medical school. Regardless of where a medical student goes, when they graduate, they are “doctor”. And this includes DO schools.
The best undergrad is one where you will be happy (happy kids get better grades), get the best possible grades, and sometimes have good health care advising (this varies in quality amongst colleges). And you want to try to keep costs as low as possible because medical school will likely cost you $100,000 a year.