Quite many schools have shadowing or clinical volunteering or both. Starting with the two schools I know best, as a parent (I am a physician, my college kids are not premeds but many of their friends are and their schools are well known for their premed/prehealth preparation):
(I could not get it to link full Penn med list of supported clinical opportunities for students but if you read this site the links are there– Penn Med and CHOP (peds) are on campus and there are numerous opportunities listed)
Here are a few more as examples: WashU, JohnsHopkins, Harvard, Emory: I stopped searching after finding established shadow/clinical volunteering experiences for undergrads at almost all of the schools I know to have excellent premed prep (ie the twenty or so I would have encouraged my kids to consider if they were premed, because these fit them in other ways, in addition to William and Mary and UVA which are excellent for premed and in-state for us).
When you read further on these websites they all encourage real clinical experience over just observation, and they discuss programs for their students at their own hospitals as well as options in the area.
I echo the other advice that you should focus on where your kid will academically and socially thrive, which you will not know until you see how the high school classwork goes and have scores. Then make a big list and go through each and see what the shadowing/clinical volunteering is like.
Expect to be told no. Be happily surprised if they say yes.
Taking a student into their practice to observe is a BIG ask. Many large or multi-specialties practices have specific policies that prohibit this, particularly for under 18 students.
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It is quite possible to matriculate into med school directly from undergrad, but not easy. It takes very careful planning and excellent time management on the part of the student.
Since the med school application process takes a full year plus, the student must have everything (GPA, MCAT, LORs, ECs, personal statement, etc) they need to apply completed by March/April of their junior year of college. (Usual deadline for requesting a committee LOR).
This means front loading science classes so they can take the MCAT during spring of junior year and starting regular community service with disadvantaged communities/groups soon after arriving on campus. If they are considering research-intensive med schools or a MD/PhD, they’ll also need to find a research lab to work in during their freshman year.
I think it’s important to note, because it’s not necessarily obvious, that a “glide year” isn’t quite like a gap year - the student applies to med school January-April senior year but because the process takes over a year they graduate Y0 and may start Med School Fall of Y1, not Fall Y0 the way it is for a HS student applying to college Y0 and starting right in Fall that same year.
