A core for forming a cooling microcircuit has at least one row of metering/tripping features configured to form at least one row of protrusions in the cooling microcircuit, a plurality of teardrop features configured to form a plurality of fluid passageways in the cooling microcircuit, and a terminal edge. The plurality of teardrop features includes a central teardrop feature having a trailing edge which is spaced from the terminal edge and a first teardrop feature located on a first side of and spaced from the central teardrop feature. The first teardrop feature has a longitudinal axis and is non-symmetrical about the longitudinal axis. A process of using the core and a turbine engine component formed thereby are described.