HEART CORE: A Framework for Leading with Empathy in Medical Education

In medical training, much of what defines leadership happens outside of clinical decision-making. It happens at 2 a.m. when a resident breaks down from burnout. It happens when a team is navigating interpersonal conflict or when a trainee is overwhelmed by grief, imposter syndrome, or failure. While these moments are deeply impactful, many of us are never taught how to lead through them. This gap inspired us to create HEART CORE, a framework designed to help residents, faculty, and administrators approach complex, emotional, or high-stakes situations with clarity and compassion. Although it was originally built for chief residents handling difficult calls and conversations, we quickly realized that HEART CORE can be used in many contexts. It is a tool that can support managing learners, mentoring trainees, guiding faculty, navigating conflict, and even engaging patients and families during emotionally charged encounters.