Singapore's newest medical school welcomed its first batch of students at its first white coat ceremony on Thursday.

The pioneer batch of 54 students at the Nanyang Technological University's Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine students received their white coats and stethoscopes at the ceremony held at NTU.

"Medicine is a noble profession and membership calls for not just great commitment and passion, but also a clear moral obligation," said Health Minister Gan Kim Yong, who was the guest of honour at the event, as he urged the students to be ambassadors for the new school.

He also pointed out that there were diverse career opportunities available in the public healthcare service, the chance to train future generations of doctors, or do research and take on leadership roles.