I would suggest that you or your child look at the links to the medical school application advisory process I posted above. They will answer a lot of your questions. I’d also look for similar links at the SLACs of interest and read through them.
I do think that if your child is undecided it may be helpful to attend a school at which undergrads can work or volunteer at an affiliated hospital. This is not just to improve a resume for med school; it’s to figure out if you really want to be a doctor.
For everyone’s horror stories about the cost of med school, there is a small but growing group of med schools that are waiving tuition for all or a substantial portion of students. Yes, competition for them is extremely competitive, but who knows what the landscape will be like when it’s time for your child to apply.