First author anywhere is great. I don't agree that quality always trumps quantity, though. While it's true that double-blind studies and clinical trials are more impressive than poster presentations and reviews, a publication is a publication and something to be proud of. I don't think the name of the journal/publishing entity matters too much, either. But as a pre-med, in exchange for getting the opportunity to do research, you're probably not gonna be first author. In the end research is meaningful for some, but for most pre-meds it's something they're not as enthusiastic about compared to clinical activities, and this is usually a good thing.
tldr; any research is a good thing but research is required for some med schools and not others