Several of my older daughter’s closest friends are in various stages of their residencies. They came from a variety of undergraduate programs, and none were “pre-med”.
For all of them, what mattered most as far as getting into med school were MCAT scores and clinical hours. Not a single one jumped from undergrad directly into med school. Most took at least a year in between to build up clinical hours, participate in research and get advanced degrees in medical-related fields. One had to go through two rounds of applying before getting an acceptance despite doing undergrad at UNC-CH.
It’s a long, tough, expensive road. I agree with choosing the most affordable undergrad and going from there.