Background: Self-medication is a common practice worldwide, involving the use of medicines without medical supervision. It's a complex phenomenon influenced by various factors, including sociocultural beliefs, accessibility to healthcare, and personal experiences. It also carries risks, such as adverse drug reactions, delayed diagnosis of underlying conditions, and misuse of medications. Understanding the factors that influence self-medication practices is crucial for promoting responsible medication use and improving healthcare outcomes. OBJECTIVES: To assess the perceptions and practices of self -medication among undergraduate medical students. METHODS: A cross sectional study was conducted among 150 undergraduate medical students in Sree Mookambika institute of medical sciences, Kanyakumari. Written informed consent was obtained from each volunteer prior to the study. Data was collected using pre-tested questionnaire for a period of 3 months and that were entered in MS Excel and analysed using SPSS. RESULTS: A total of 150 medical students participated in the study; among them, 52.9% were female students and 47.1% male students. 42.5% stated that self-medication is not a good practice. The most common reason for self–medication, which the students stated, was convenience (55.5%), followed by quick relief (34.6%). The major source of information was from family and friends (34%), followed by books or medical literature (19%) The medicine most commonly used were antipyretics (38.6%) analgesics (20.9%), antihistamine (16.3%) and antibiotics (11.1%). Conclusion: Self-medication is widely practiced among under- graduate medical students. Books or medical literatures, internet, old prescriptions were the common sources of information. In this situation, we should educate the students about advantages and disadvantages of self-medication

Antibiotic Resistance, Medical Students, Over the Counter Drug, Self -Medication