Why isn't prestige taken into account?

[ucbalumnus]

@WayOutWestMom

Because not everyone can afford to attend a brand name private “prestige” college. Med school admissions are increasing skewed toward upper middle class and upper class applicants and the LCME and AAMC realize the inequity of this situation. Medical schools have been urged during the past 10 years to broaden their ideas of “acceptable” undergrad schools–which they have.

Still, even if the admissions selection tries to be more friendly to applicants from non-upper-income backgrounds, wouldn’t the cost of the pre-med path (including pre-med extracurriculars taking up time that could be used for paid jobs, MCAT preparation, short-notice travel to medical school interviews, etc.) and the cost of medical school be significant barriers against those from non-upper-income backgrounds?