oh er ▁remained ▁there ▁for ▁two ▁years ▁before ▁entering ▁Leonard ▁Medical ▁School . ▁ ▁During ▁medical ▁school ▁and ▁the ▁summer ▁breaks , ▁Bo oh er ▁used ▁the ▁t ins m ith ing ▁he ▁learned ▁at ▁T usk eg ee ▁to ▁work ▁on ▁P ull man ▁cars . ▁ ▁While ▁in ▁college ▁he ▁was ▁also ▁very ▁active ▁in ▁college ▁athlet ics . ▁ ▁Bo oh er ▁graduated ▁from ▁medical ▁school ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 8 ▁and ▁earned ▁his ▁medical ▁license ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 9 ▁after ▁being ▁cert ified ▁by ▁the ▁North ▁Carolina ▁Board ▁of ▁Medical ▁Ex am ine es . ▁ ▁Instead ▁of ▁moving ▁back ▁to ▁Alabama , ▁Bo oh er ▁remained ▁in ▁North ▁Carolina ▁and ▁opened ▁his ▁own ▁medical ▁practice ▁in ▁Oxford . ▁ ▁Military ▁service ▁In ▁ 1 9 1 7 , ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁joined ▁World ▁War ▁I ▁and ▁the ▁entire ▁nation ▁was ▁in ▁a ▁bu zz ▁to ▁join ▁the ▁effort . ▁ ▁After ▁the ▁declaration ▁of ▁war ▁with ▁Germany , ▁many ▁African - Amer icans ▁were ▁turned ▁away ▁from ▁local ▁rec ruit ing ▁stations . ▁ ▁Un prep ared ▁for ▁a ▁large ▁scale ▁conflict , ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Army ▁had ▁only ▁four ▁black ▁reg iments , ▁and ▁many ▁command ers ▁would ▁not ▁allow ▁mixing ▁of ▁black s ▁and ▁whites ▁in ▁their ▁units . ▁ ▁Also , ▁the ▁black ▁reg iments ▁themselves ▁were ▁not ▁trust ed ▁to ▁be ▁sent ▁to ▁Europe , ▁as ▁many ▁of ▁the ▁higher ▁ups ▁possessed ▁a ▁lack ▁of ▁confidence ▁in ▁black ▁soldiers ▁as ▁f