Protar did not study medicine in Europe or elsewhere, and did not come to Beaver Island intending to practice medicine. It is not clear how or when he came to take up such work on the Island, but it is assumed it stemmed from his time acting as veterinarian for his animals.

From 1911 to 1923, there was no full-time physician on the Island, leaving a gap in ordinary day-to-day palliative care that Protar was able and willing to fill. He dispensed medicine and care to treat the common cold and chronic illness, respiratory infections, arthritis, rashes, and other ailments. Aware of his limits, he refused to handle childbirth, vaccinations, and serious accidents and illnesses.

The medicines he dispensed he prepared himself in his kitchen, grinding powders with mortar and pestle or funneling liquids into old vanilla bottles. He also ordered medicine such as fever reducers and pain relievers in bulk, as drugs were not restricted and did not require a prescription until 1915.

In the 10 years covered in the ledger preserved by the Beaver Island Historical society, Protar saw more than 2,000 patients. All of this help was given free of charge.