Right now I'm taking LS 2 with Dr. Esdin teaching the first half of Winter Quarter 2017 and Dr. Arnold teaching the second half. Now that the first five weeks are done... here are my thoughts on Esdin.
This quarter's teaching style to the "flipped classroom" method I've read about in some recent reviews on Esdin's LS 2 class. I think this is because Dr. Arnold is teaching with him, and so he decided to revert back to his original grading rubric:
40 points - Reading Quizzes you do during discussion
100 points - 1st Midterm
100 points - 2nd Midterm
10 points - Discussion Attendance/Participation
180 points - Final Exam
I thought Dr. Esdin was a great lecturer. He's funny, and has this great accent (I can't tell what it is...) and often makes applications of the material to real life examples. I don't think this was included in his fall quarter class but he decided to cover a section about diseases/conditions which I found really interesting. I have a pretty good foundation with biology so I didn't find his class too fast or too slow. He likes to explain things with keywords (which is crucial to do well for the free responses). Something I really liked is that he would often explain the general concept first and then delve into details and different situations. Though I felt his lectures were general at some points, everything he says in lecture was sufficient enough for the exam. That being said...
What I've heard from the previous method of teaching is that there were different tests too. Before it was purely multiple choice, but our midterm was a mix of fill in the blank questions, T/F, free response, and multiple choice. Like I said, he likes to test on key words for the free response. I guess the way TA grade is if you have the key words associated with a certain process (for example, active transport associated with expenditure of energy) like a very particular set of words he'll associate with the concept you have to mention in the FR to get credit for. This is why so many people record his lectures and listen to them again to update their notes further and make sure they don't miss anything. You don't have to memorize every single little detail, you do have to know the concepts he emphasized in lecture heavily on. You'll know it's for sure on the test if he spends a lot of time on it (he will even tell you). I found the midterm pretty tricky (I got an A but still). His MC is tricky in terms of the wording. They aren't difficult concepts to memorize, but how you apply the concepts to the question makes you think about it in a different way. His fill in the blank and T/F are pretty basic questions, definitely the easiest part of the exam. The average was a 74%, which he thought was pretty good.
Discussion quizzes are basically quizzes based on the readings you have to do on your own time. It'll be like a 8-10 pg article regarding some research on a certain topic you're learning in class. And it'll be basic questions about the reading. Just read/study them the day before and you'll do fine.
His office hours is a small room in Hershey Hall where basically he stands there and everyone in the room just asks him questions for an hour. This is just to get clarification and fill some open holes you missed during the lecture. You can even ask how much of some concept do you need to know for the test. He's a really nice person during his OH too so don't be afraid to ask questions!
I'm really sad Dr. Esdin isn't teaching the whole quarter. I don't know what Dr. Arnold will be like but I can definitely recommend taking a class with Dr. Esdin!

Dr. Esdin has been by far my favorite professor at UCLA. His "flipped-classroom" approach to lecturing is extremely clear and helpful. He is very knowledgeable and explains things really well. This class, however, is definitely not easy. His questions are challenging and require a real mastery of the material as they are not about memorization but more about application and understanding. With his recorded lectures to go back to however, it's possible to master the material if you really put the time in. I have retained more from this class than any class I have taken thus far and would definitely recommend Esdin.

I absolutely LOVE Dr. Esdin!!! I took this class with Cooper and Fain winter quarter 2017 and got a C- so i re-took it this spring with Dr. Esdin and it was the best decision i've made academically so far. He is hilarious!
He asks a lot of his students participation and homework-wise, but it is for the best because it really makes you master the material.
11/10 recommend. If you need to take a life science course, take it with him.

I had Esdin/Arnold for Winter 2017 Quarter. This review is only for Esdin. Professor Esdin taught the first half of the class, while Professor Arnold taught the second half. Professor Esdin lectures using PowerPoint slides, which you can follow along with during the lecture. He is one of the best lecturers/professors I have had at UCLA so far because he is so passionate and energetic while teaching. Even though the material may get boring at times, it is pretty easy to stay engaged while Esdin is teaching. To do well in his class, you should really pay attention to what he says during lecture and add those points to the lecture slides to study them afterwards. The midterm was basically from his lectures, so you do not really need the textbook. The average for his midterm was 74, which he thought was pretty good. The class is based on a curve, so just try to do better than the averages.

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Holy crap that final was so hard.

I took this as a double prof alongside Arnold. The class in itself is not as difficult as Prof. Esdin portrays it to be. Yes, there is a ton of information to memorize, and I seriously mean a ton because LS2's exams are based off lecture/lecture slides and you can tested on literally ANY bullet point no matter how irrelevant it may be. For example, an exam question might ask something general regarding an entire organ system and its function and then the next question will ask you for the name or identity of a specific molecule of a specific reaction of a specific process that takes place in the body. A downside is def. some of the questions are worded poorly and I would have gotten more points if the questions were clearer.
However, as a lecturer Esdin is better by a longshot compared to Arnold. I guess for you lazy students, Arnold is better in that you just need to study his slides and you'll get an A on his exams but for Esdin, you have to pay attention and take notes.
Arnold's exams were easier, Esdin's were def. harder but overall all the exams are very fair. I would highly recommend going to Esdin's office hours even if you don't have questions just to sit and listen because I went once just because and at least 3 of the topics discussed in OH were on the final and I knew them because I went to OH. Overall, this class is a pain b/c of all the things you have to memorize but for all you pre-meds (basically 80% of you guys), we gotta get used to it.

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Take this class and you will not regret it! Professor Esdin keeps lectures incredibly engaging and interesting even at 9am. Discussions only meet once every two weeks. Midterm and final are definitely doable if you keep up with course reader. Great class and you get to learn about something that can improve your health and lifestyle!