I disagree that it’s “all about GPA and MCAT”. It’s definitely not (as you pointed out in your own post–there are other factors involved, including medical volunteering and possibly research experience). At many medical schools (especially very competitive ones), it’s not enough to just have a high GPA and a high MCAT score. The OP clearly wants to be as competitive of an applicant as they can be, and having other experiences besides purely academic ones is important.
I’m sorry I wasn’t clear in my original post (or perhaps, you misunderstood). I was not saying that LAC students are at a disadvantage (if you notice, I never said LAC in that example–you did), just that there are other things to consider about college besides the feasibility of getting a high GPA. The point wasn’t to say that “you will be at a disadvantage if you go to an LAC.” The point was to say that “GPA is not everything. There are other things to consider.” The point was to take the OP’s example of getting a higher GPA at a private/LAC school vs a UC and present a more rounded picture, taking into account other opportunities that the student at the research university took advantage of, while the other student focused on their GPA. The point was not to make any comment about LAC vs research universities (I think the consideration should be more school-specific, anyway). I’m sorry, I didn’t think that needed to be explained. Sorry, if I offended.
You can certainly go to medical school from any school, but the opportunities that are available at that school are something that can be considered (along with every other factor when you decide on schools). It doesn’t matter what type of university it is. If it’s near a medical center (or multiple medical centers) that frequently takes volunteers, it makes it easier to volunteer, not just over the summer but year-round. If there are a lot of research opportunities (and perhaps, even programs that help students find opportunities), then it makes it easier to do research. And the longer your research opportunity is (working during the school year, rather than just over the summer, for example), the more involved you can get. You can certainly get all the experience you want at schools that don’t have a medical center nearby and have limited research opportunities, but it’s just takes more effort. I’m not saying make your decision based on that. I’m saying it’s a factor that can be considered, along with a million other factors that can be considered.
I never said that research universities are universally better, just like I would never say that LACs are universally better. Every school has their pros and cons, and I gave a hypothetical example where GPA is not the end-all, be-all of admissions. There are benefits and disadvantages to any school.
I do disagree with this though. Research universities main advantage is NOT only for students with an interest in research. While having access to a lot of research opportunities is always good if you’re interested in research, all students (including all pre-med students) can benefit from the numerous advantages of attending a larger research university. The advantage isn’t only research.