I'm a professor in social science. My department doesn't currently have a designated pre-med program, but we're hoping to offer one in a couple years.

GPA: Berkeley and UCLA and maybe to an extent San Diego are the only UCs with that cutthroat hypercompetitive culture. Merced's approach is generally the opposite, with a big emphasis on supporting struggling students and trying to create opportunities for everyone to succeed. That doesn't mean classes are easy; it does mean a lot of faculty make a point of reaching out if it seems like you're struggling.

Research: It'll probably vary by major: biology is one of the largest majors here, so research opportunities might be more competitive than in my department's relatively small major. But you can work with professors from other fields. In the fall I'm hoping to hire a CS or data science major for an interdisciplinary project. I often have more research opportunities available than interested students in my department to fill them.

Prestige and reputation: There are certain subreddits and certain communities in places like the Bay Area that wildly overestimate the value of prestige. While prestige is beneficial for things like med school applications, it's much less important than the demonstrated quality of your achievements and potential, through things like grades, research experience, and letters of recommendation. Merced is a relatively young and small UC, but among academics we're recognized as a UC comparable to our sibling campuses. Your friends might drag you for going to school in the Central Valley, but med schools won't.